Unexpected Romance: Changes
by TheTiny
Summary: Odd Couple: VCCRetelling of the original Unexpected Romance, though with signifigant changes to the plot development and power readings for the fighters. I hope you all enjoy it, as I have had a fun time working on it's plot.
1. Prologue

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Prologue_

_By- Tiny_

"YOUR WISH CANNOT BE GRANTED, THE ONE KNOWN AS SON GOKU DOES NOT WISH TO RETURN AT THIS TIME," Porunga, the great Nameksei-jin dragon boomed, "MAKE ANOTHER WISH."

Everyone was shocked by the Dragon's words, almost to the point of disbelief as it's overwhelming voice echoed through the land, but none more so than the dark-haired woman standing next to it. Goku refusing to return was nothing new to the Z fighters, seeing as he had forced them to wait a year wishing him back not long ago, but to refuse such a wish while he was alive was just...unthinkable. Nobody saw it coming, not even those who knew him best, and for poor Chi-Chi and her son it was like having a massive weight dropped on them.

The Saiya-jin prince, Vegeta, sat by under a tree, watching the spectacle unfold as his uneasy allies wept over the choice their friend had made, a sight that made the prince both curious and confused. He had never understood these humans emotional attachments to each other, especially seeing as his fellow Saiya-jin was a warrior and would never stay in one place for very long. As people who claimed to know him better than anyone else he thought perhaps they might understand that as well, but apparently that was a lesson they never learned.

Had his comrade, the first Super Saiya-jin born in a thousand years, actually come home so soon after his transformation Vegeta would have been shocked beyond all belief by the action. The transformation had been volatile, making the other warrior very unpredictable and aggressive, and the other warrior had most likely stayed away to try and gain control over his new form. Why the pitiful little humans couldn't see that was beyond Vegeta's comprehension, so he didn't bother to speak as they wept over their friends choice to stay away.

"I can't believe he didn't come home...and by choice!" Chi-Chi sobbed, her head hanging low as she cried, "What about me and Gohan? Don't we matter to him anymore?"

"Chi-Chi, I'm sure he just...needs some time to adjust," Bulma tried to reassure her friend, "I mean, he did just kill a universal tyrant. I'm sure that that'll take a while to get over for Goku."

"Hardly, none of you saw the look on Kakrot's face when he was fighting Frieza, I did," Vegeta finally had enough and shouted, "He was ENJOYING it! He wanted to watch him suffer, to make him hurt and then kill him, just as he one destroyed our race years ago!"

"Your wrong!" Chi-Chi snapped, glaring at the prince, "My Goku wouldn't do such a thing, no matter how bad a person was!"

"You human whelps think that you know how he is, but you know so very little about how Kakarot operates," Vegeta scoffed, "He is a Saiya-jin, not some weakling like you! He is out there now, probably training to control his new form before coming home, yet you just expect him to drop in like nothing has happened! Are you all this mad, or is it just you!"

"How dare you talk to me like that, I am his wife!" Chi-Chi snapped, "I know him better than anyone and he would not just leave us! That's not the way that he is!"

"And yet he did not return, actually requested not to be brought here," Vegeta smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, "Care to explain why that is if he wouldn't just run off like that?"

"I...umm...well," Chi-Chi stammered, "I don't know..."

"I GROW IMPATIENT WITH YOU HUMANS!" Porunga boomed once more, tired of being ignored, "IF YOU HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY, THEN I WILL TAKE LEAVE OF YOU!"

"Porunga, we have no more wishes for you," Dende, the small Nameksei-jin sighed, "You may return to your sleep."

"AT LAST!" Porunga laughed, "FARE YOU WELL..."

The light returned to the mid-morning sky as the Dragonballs fell in a stone heap on the ground at the Z fighter's feet, Chi-Chi still glaring at Vegeta like he would back down under her gaze. He didn't even move a muscle, just stared at her with those cold dark orbs without the slightest hint of remorse or apology for his words towards her, words she knew even as she denied them that they were true. Goku went away too often for too long for it to just be obligation keeping him away and Chi-Chi knew it, but it was not Vegeta's place to say such insulting things to her.

"Why Kakarot bothers with a weakling like you is beyond me, especially if you can't understand how he operates," Vegeta snorted, "This isn't worth wasting my breath on..."

"You should show some respect, she just lost her husband you turnip-haired freak show!" Bulma snapped, her eyes wide with anger, "I know Goku has a wanderlust that can't be satisfied, but that doesn't excuse his behavior and you shouldn't make things worse by patronizing his wife!"

"As if he'd do anything else, he's hardly more than an uncivilized monkey," Tien growled, "We wouldn't expect _him _to understand something like our flawed, human feelings."

"Hmph...I can see when I am not wanted, so I will take my leave of you pitiful Earth creatures," Vegeta grumbled, "Maybe when I'm gone, you'll realize that I was right."

Nobody looked sad to see the Saiya-jin prince heading for his ship, nobody except for maybe Gohan, who had come to respect the older warrior somewhat during their battles on Nameksei. The humans were actually glad to see the super-powered warrior departing from their midst, seeing as he was indirectly responsible for all of their deaths, save that of Krillin. Still, even Krillin, who had lost nearly all of his friends due to the prince of a nearly dead race, was not shedding any tears at his departure as he threw the capsule down to release his ship.

He would have left right then, leaving the planet that he considered little more than a miserable mud-heap in the middle of nowhere, had it not been for a small, frail hand closing over his well muscled shoulder. Gasps from the rest of the group around him could be heard as he turned around to see who had dared to touch him, a prince of the Saiya-jin race, and his own eyes nearly bugged out. Kakarot's wife, the frail woman with a spirit as intense as the very flames of Hell, stood eye level with Vegeta as he stared her down with his own cold, calculating gaze.

"Please...we're...I'm sorry for snapping at you like that," Chi-Chi sighed, her outer exterior crumbling like an old building, "I don't know what's gotten into Goku in the last few years, but he's been very...restless. I should have expected he would stay away for a little while..."

"Hmph, so one of you actually gets it now," Vegeta smirked, "Still, you have much to learn about Saiya-jin."

"Then why don't you stay and try to show me what they are like?" Chi-Chi gulped in a breath, "After all, as much as I hate to admit it, my son is partially one of your kind and should know a bit about that side of himself. And I could do with learning a few things myself if I'm to understand my husband better."

"Are you asking me to come and stay with you and the brat?" Vegeta inquired, cocking an eyebrow, "Inviting the enemy in, as your friends would say?"

"Yes, I am," Chi-Chi nodded, holding out her hand, "Do we have a deal?"

Vegeta pondered her offer for a moment in his head as he looked at the half-crazed faces of those around him, his eyes piercing through their physical forms like a blade and seeing the souls within. They all thought Chi-Chi was crazy for offering him, arrogant and prideful prince of the Saiya-jin, slayer of countless innocents, and their former enemy into her home. The only one who didn't look concerned was Gohan, who's face was lit up like what the human's called a "Christmas Tree", the prospect of learning anything from the prince of his race a wondrous idea.

The boy was the one thing that worried Vegeta the most about considering staying on this planet for a long time, especially after seeing what he had done to Frieza back on Nameksei not a few months ago. Gohan held an incredible reserve of pure, untapped energy within his small form, the kind of energy that not even Vegeta himself could hope to possess, though he would not admit this out loud. The child was truly a marvel of his birth, born the son of a low-class soldier with the power of legends, and as he looked at Gohan, a softer smirk spread over Vegeta's lips.

"Well, what do you say?" Chi-Chi asked again, "Do we have a deal, or not?"

"Deal."

And in that moment, as the two shook hands in sealing the agreement between them, the princess of Fry Pan Mountain and the prince of Saiya-jin set into motion a series of event for which there was no undoing. Event that would change the lives of everyone around them, including that of the legendary Son Goku...

_**Current Power Levels**_

Vegeta: 2,500,000

Gohan: 1,800,000

Piccolo: 850,000

Krillin: 350,000

Tien: 285,000

Yamcha: 220,000

Chautzu: 195,500

_**Author's Notes:** I decided a while back that the powers in the original Unexpected Romance story were WAY too high and some of it's plotlines overly cliche, with a cast of characters that was positively unbelievable. As such, most of those characters have been scraped for the time being, and the power levels will be considerably lower, while the story progresses in a similar manner as before. There will be new twists, but it will still contain a VAST amount of mature content, including language, violence, and some sexuality, so young readers are advised not to read any farther._

_Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy this version as much, or more, than you did the original and I'll update as often as possible. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing your opinions._


	2. Home, Sweet Home

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 1- "Home, Sweet Home"_

_By- Tiny_

Gohan kept shooting awkward glances behind him as he flew with his mother in his arms back to their home on Mount Paozu, the Saiya-jin prince hot on their heels all the while. It felt unnatural to be inviting someone who, just over a year ago, had been trying to kill everyone on the planet into their family's home, but at the same time was a thrilling prospect for the young hybrid. The prince of a race Gohan belonged to, yet knew virtually nothing about save that they were amazing fighters, was going to living in the same home as him, at least for a short while.

Vegeta was indeed a great warrior, a fact that had been made more than evident on Nameksei when he was knocked down over and over again, yet always came back into the fray even stronger than before. If it hadn't been for the warrior prince, not to mention Piccolo and Krillin, Gohan wasn't sure that they would have survived Frieza's wrath for half as long as they had. They owed Vegeta a great deal, even if he had been their enemy some time ago and tried to kill them all, and Gohan just wished that the others could see that as well as he could.

The Son residence was coming up into view now as the young warrior increased his pace across the sky, both to get home as quickly as possible and to test how much faster Vegeta's increased ki had made him. Much to his surprise, Vegeta was able to quite easily keep up with the young hybrid, though never going too close for fear of getting another tongue lashing from his rival's wife. This was something Gohan found humorous, that such a small and seemingly weak woman could strike such fear into even the most savage warriors, but he wasn't about to let Vegeta know that.

"Brat, we've been flying over this worthless mud ball for close to an hour now!" Vegeta snarled, his energy rising slightly in annoyance, "When are we going to reach your little home?"

"It's right down there, I was just about to tell you to land," Gohan called back nervously, "It's the little white house next to the forest."

_"Hmph, little is the word,"_ Vegeta mused, watching the hybrid descend through the sky, _"Suitable that a piece of low-class scum like Kakarot and his abomination offspring live in such a hovel!"_

_"And I should warn you not to call our home a hovel either, unless you want mom to hit you,"_ Gohan's voice popped up, _"I forgot to mention, battle techniques aren't the only thing Piccolo taught me."_

_"I'll make you pay for intruding on my thoughts brat,"_ Vegeta grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he touched down, _"Don't you forget who your superiors are."_

Gohan didn't bother with a response to that last statement, either mentally or using his smiling lips, but rather sat his mother down on the soft green grass and then ran inside to change his clothes. His old gi was pretty torn up and he really needed the change in clothing before he ate anything, as Chi-Chi wasn't going to let him touch her food or even her tableware without being clean first. Vegeta found the young hybrid's sudden desire to clean up absurd, as he began heading for the house to rest a bit before he ate himself, but never quite made it inside.

A loud clang sounded throughout the mountain valley as a heavy metal pan, held by a very angry looking Chi-Chi, came down hard on the Saiya-jin prince's head with a force that not even Frieza could rival. The pain was excruciating as Vegeta hit the ground, clutching his head in agony as Chi-Chi tossed a capsule case down to him, courtesy of Bulma. The prince barely paid the capsule case any mind as he rose to stare down his rival's wife, eyes ablaze with fury, but backed off slightly once she started waving the pan in his face.

"Nobody eats or sleeps in my house until they have washed up and are clean, I don't care who you are!" Chi-Chi huffed, "Bulma was nice enough to send you some clothes in those capsules, they should fit you. Our washtub is behind the house, just start the fire underneath it and you should be fine, and make it quick, cause I'll have dinner ready soon!"

"Who are you to order me around, woman?" Vegeta growled, snatching the case off the ground, "I am Vegeta, prince of the Saiya-jin!"

"And I am the woman of this house and you will do as I said or I'll just tell Bulma that SHE can watch you!" Chi-Chi retorted, "And since I know you don't want that, then I suggest you wash up and get ready for dinner!"

Vegeta was stunned at just how brazen the human woman was to defy him in such a manner, directly to his face without any fear whatsoever, but didn't let as much show as he skulked off behind the Son house. The washtub for the people of the house was most accurately described as very crudely put together, consisting of a large metal barrel full of water, heated up by a fire underneath. Vegeta wondered how in the hell he was supposed to get cleaned up in such a cramped up space, but figured it was better than a cold creek somewhere and simply stripped off his armor and climbed into the tub.

Much to his surprise, it was really quite warm and cozy, sending a very relaxing sensation through the prince's body as he let the warm water cover his entire body, including his wild locks of dark hair. All the tension that had remained from his battle with Frieza disappeared almost instantly, his aching joints relaxing to the point that he felt he might drift off to sleep. That might not have been a bad idea either, since the prince was feeling slightly tired as it was, but he remembered he was under the water and moved up out of the warm sanctuary into the cool, evening air.

The sun was setting on the horizon over the mountains that surrounded the area the Son family called home, the gold's and reds of the sunset reflecting off of the tub water as Vegeta watched in awe. He could hear animals in the forest, some going off to sleep for the night and others rousing for their nightly prowling, the insects filling the air around the Saiya-jin prince with musical hums and clicks. He hadn't enjoyed a sunset like this since he was a boy back on his home planet, when he and his father had watched the twin suns setting from the balcony of their palace.

_"This world...it is not Vegetasei, it will never be Vegetasei,"_ the prince sighed heavily, reclining his head back, _"But yet...I could find myself coming to like this place...and to call it home."_

And with those thoughts in mind, Vegeta's eyes fluttered shut and he fell asleep in the setting sunlight, dreaming of a new kind of life that he wouldn't remember when he woke up later that evening...

Chi-Chi was working diligently in her kitchen, making dinner for herself and the two savagely hungry Saiya-jin under her roof, when she heard the back door swing open beside her and Vegeta walked in. He seemed considerably more relaxed than he had been when they arrived at the house, his posture considerably less rigid and his face not quite as tight as it had been. He still had a deep scowl on his youthful features and a his eyes were narrowed, as they had been since the moment Chi-Chi laid eyes on him, but he definitely looked different after his bath.

Adding to the difference in his body posture was the clothing that had been sent over with him by Bulma, seeing as Vegeta was quite a bit too short to possibly fit into his larger rival's outfits. They couldn't imagine he'd want to wear Goku's clothes either, seeing as the young prince hated the other man with a passion that nobody could seem to comprehend, since Goku had decided ultimately to spare his life. He was dressed only in a pair of dark jeans with a very tight black shirt over them, his feet bare except for a pair of white socks he had decided to put on.

Unlike his rival, who usually went over to the table immediately and watched Chi-Chi cook the meals until they were ready, Vegeta surprised the human woman by walking over to the counter and stirring a pot of rice she had forgotten about. It would have burned within a few moments if he hadn't done so, but thanks to the prince's handiness it was good again and would be ready soon. Everything else was close to ready as it was, the meat having cooked in it's own warm juices for almost three hours now and all the veggies steamed to perfection. It was enough to make even Chi-Chi's stomach rumble, so she could just imagine how her two dinner companions were feeling.

"Thank you for stirring the rice, I completely forgot about it," Chi-Chi gulped nervously, setting food out on the table, "I didn't know that you Saiya-jin even knew how to do anything but eat in a kitchen."

"There is a lot you pitiful humans do not know about my race, considering the only model you've had for behavior is that third class moron," Vegeta grumbled, gazing out the window, "Besides, I don't like burnt food."

_"The guy doesn't know how to take a compliment,"_ Chi-Chi shook her head, "Well, there's a lot that you don't know about MY race either Vegeta, but that would be because you won't take the time to learn."

"I know that your people are, primarily, a pitiful race of weaklings, despite the handful of powerful warriors you've produced," Vegeta half-spat, "In the universe only the strong survive...your race would perish and nobody would bat an eye."

"Have you ever considered that there may be more to we humans than just our fighting ability Vegeta, or are you Saiya-jin that blind?" Chi-Chi bit her lip, trying not to blast Vegeta twice in one day, "Can you not name one good quality about our race except how we've produced 'a handful of powerful warriors'?"

"Hmph, what a stupid question," Vegeta chuckled, "I can only think of one thing, woman."

Chi-Chi looked almost curious about what the Saiya-jin was going to say, but that curiosity turned almost instantly to fright as he unfolded his arms and walked over to stand just half a foot away from her. At that close of a range, she could see the tight muscle that was tucked up under the dark folds of his clothing, not to mention the deep scarring along his right and left arms. Even his face looked different from this vantage point, with his eyes dancing as they gazed into hers, a mixture of hurt at the insult to his race and amusement at her fear of him.

Power could be felt coursing through the room, even to the human woman who could not sense ki, but the presence of the Saiya-jin prince was so overwhelming that you couldn't help but feel intimidated. The only person who had ever stood this close to Vegeta without cringing in some way had been his greatest rival, the low-born warrior that he despised with all his being. Chi-Chi didn't want to show any sign of weakness towards the prince, who barely rose over her nose in height, but eventually gave in to her fear as he leaned forward slightly and she jumped back a few steps.

"Your race has only one good quality, and that is in part owed to my own species genetics," Vegeta smirked, hearing little footsteps outside the doorway, "You produce a powerful hybrid...and that is the only reason any of you are still alive."

Chi-Chi was shocked that she was even still alive after Vegeta had gotten so threateningly close to her, though she knew inside that the shock would be more likely to kill her than he would. Still, the little prince who now sat at her table awaiting the arrival of his rival's son had actually managed to shake the normally unshakable Chi-Chi's nerves and make her afraid. Fear was something she had not known since her youth and she had forgotten just how overwhelming it could be, her heart still pounding heavily when her son came into the room a few minutes later.

"Hi Mom, Vegeta, I'm all finished with my studies!" Gohan beamed, sitting down near the prince, "Can we go ahead and eat yet?"

"Umm...yeah, go right ahead Gohan," Chi-Chi nodded, seating herself as far from Vegeta as she could manage, _"It might be the last meal that we get to eat..."_

_"Foolish woman, thinks I'm actually going to harm her,"_ Vegeta almost laughed, eyeing how wary Chi-Chi was being of him, _"Oh, life on this planet is going to very interesting indeed..."_

_**Author's Notes:** In case you didn't notice, Vegeta actually was trying to be sincerely nice to Chi-Chi in this chapter, but he doesn't really know how to be so he screwed it up big time. He won't get much better with time, but after a while you'll start to realize when he's trying to be a nice guy and when he's just being the arrogant, pompous asshole he usually is. And to answer one reviewers question, who has been very faithful to this story, yes I am starting over._

_The next chapter will focus on Vegeta beginning to train with Gohan after a week of living in the Son household, the prince trying to bring out the full extent of his young subject's power. It will be a lesson in humility for both the prince and the pauper, but they will not be the sole focus of the next chapter, what with the humans beginning to train for fear of Vegeta's awesome powers. You won't get to see how far they are willing to take that training until next time, so I hope to see you all then! Keep reviewing and see ya next time!_


	3. The Prince and The Pauper

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 2- "The Prince and The Pauper"_

_By- Tiny_

One week had passed since Vegeta's decision to live with the Son family while he awaited his anticipated showdown with Goku, one week since the enemy had come to stay with a member of the Z fighter's so-called "extended family". It made Krillin a bit edgy as he paced back and forth on Master Roshi's island, his bald head shining in the brilliant sunlight overhead. He simply didn't like the idea of Vegeta being in that close vicinity to Gohan and Chi-Chi, especially since the Saiya-jin prince wanted to kill Gohan's father and, probably, the boy himself.

It wasn't just him either, Tien and Yamcha had been making frequent visits to the Son household over the last few days to make sure that Vegeta hadn't killed them all yet, usually finding the prince watching television or eating. They said he seemed to have calmed down a bit in the last week, though he was still very observant of those around him at all times, but Krillin didn't buy it. Vegeta was a savage, cold-blooded, ruthless killer and nobody was going to convince him otherwise, not even two of his best friends in the entire planet.

Master Roshi was no good to talk to, seeing as he spent all of his time either reading his pornographic magazines or watching aerobics on TV, and nobody else seemed to share Krillin's ideas. Yamcha and Tien had suggested that maybe they should think of what Goku would do and just let the prince alone, hope that maybe he had changed for the better due to his rival's influence, but it wasn't happening. Nothing could convince the bald human that Vegeta was anything more now than he was when he first came to Earth, and he needed to be ready when everyone else found that out.

He knew that Piccolo was off training in the desert again, the only other person who shared his hatred of the Saiya-jin prince, but that the Nameksei-jin was not going to allow the human to train with him. Yamcha and Tien might, more to grow stronger and compete with their short, bald friend then to fight Vegeta, but he could practically rule Chautzu out of anything. The mime-like man had given up on training all together after feeling his power level in comparison to the powers of his friends, taking up post as guardian of Karin's Tower.

_"Well, if I'm gonna do this thing then I'd better get started right away," _Krillin sighed, stretching his body out, _"I just hope that they're right about Vegeta and I won't have to actually fight him..."_

That out of his mind, Krillin blasted off towards the one place that he knew of where he could get a decent enough work-out to put him at least on par with a member of the Saiya-jin race. Bulma had invented a gravity room at the main compound in West City for Yamcha to use when he was there, based on the designs taken from Nappa's pod, though it had yet to actually get any use. Yamcha preferred, as all of the Earth's warriors did, to train in the open air under the sun, so the confines of a gravity room didn't appeal to him, but now they had no choice.

Little did Krillin know as he flew towards the city to commence with his training that he would never use this training on Vegeta, but rather on a far more dangerous foe, far sooner than he would like to think...

Vegeta had been on the planet that his rival called home for just over a week and he had been getting antsy, not being able to train without tearing his clothes to ribbons after only a few minutes. He had been pestering the human woman, Bulma, to get him some armor prepared to train in, but she had had a difficult time getting the formula for stretching the armor out perfected. She had finally gotten it down, however, and the prince was doing a few punches to warm up for his training, watching the slightly smaller figure below as he meditated just above the ground.

The child of his rival had decided he wanted to train with the Saiya-jin prince for a little while during the day, seeing as he had studies to attend to later on, and he was warming-up just like his old sensei. The Nameksei-jin training techniques were always a puzzle to the Saiya-jin prince, not really understanding how all this sitting down and focusing inside could possibly raise anyone's power. Still, it clearly had some significant effect on the body's physical and spiritual condition, as Gohan and Piccolo always seemed far more powerful and focused after meditating.

The prince watched his young sparring partner for a few more moments, wondering inwardly how he managed to hold that intense concentration for so very long at a time, then snorted at the boy. Gohan was on his feet almost instantly, his dark eyes bright and excited at the prospect of a good fight, and his small muscles tight as though ready to spring at any moment. Whatever kind of training the Nameksei-jin warrior had put Gohan through in the deserts of this planet, it had made the boy somewhat edgy when it came down to fighting.

"I see you were trained well, brat," Vegeta spat, folding his arms over his chest defiantly, "I guess your green friend isn't as weak or simple-minded as I had thought he was."

"Piccolo is a great teacher and a fantastic fighter," Gohan nodded, his eyes never leaving Vegeta's, "And I'm even better."

"Hmmm...we'll see about that brat," Vegeta smirked, his aura swelling and a blast charging in his hand, "THINK FAST!"

Gohan dodged the ki attack with relative ease, jumping a few feet into the air where the blast connected, but that proved foolish as Vegeta's elbow came down hard on his head. Pain seared across the boy's scalp, but he refused to show as much just yet as he threw a fist towards the prince, barely missing as Vegeta side-stepped and drove a knee into the boy's stomach. A small trickled of saliva mixed with blood flew out of his mouth as the prince picked him up by his neck, holding him a few inches away with a sneer on his face.

"The Nameksei-jin clearly taught you combat, but taught you nothing of defending yourself," Vegeta chuckled, "Should've known..."

"He always said...the best defense...was a good offense," Gohan struggled, trying to break the grip, "It always...worked...before..."

"You weren't fighting me before, brat!" Vegeta snapped, throwing Gohan into the ground, "Now, you're going to learn how to fight and defend yourself like a Saiya-jin, even if we're out here all day!"

Gohan sidestepped Vegeta's next attack, grabbing the prince by his arm and throwing him forcefully into the ground, sending up chunks of earth and a few large rocks in the process. Vegeta was quick to recover, however, and punched the boy in his stomach again, following that blow up with a knee to his jaw as Gohan lurched forward in pain from the initial blow. The prince did not fight like his old sensei had, for Piccolo had always stopped when he knew Gohan was outclassed severely, but Vegeta refused as he continued his assault on the boy.

Blows were exchanged back and forth at speeds that would boggle the mind, the earth shaking violently below the two combatants as they battled over the landscape with unrelenting fury. The ground was literally being reshaped as Gohan tried desperately to dodge Vegeta's powerful attacks, always barely dodging or not being able to and taking massive amounts of damage. They were just passing over an old mountain range when Gohan lost sight of the prince, thinking maybe he would get a short break, but that dream was shattered almost instantly.

Vegeta phased above the younger fighter silently, not letting him become aware of his presence, and drove his foot as hard as he could into Gohan's neck, sending the young boy rocketing forward. The entire mountain crumbled into mere rubble from the force with which the boy hit it, sending up a massive cloud of thick dust into the air all around the Saiya-jin prince. Yet even as the other creatures in the area scattered and the buzzards began to circle overhead, Vegeta knew that the boy was alive down there, and as much was made clear when his aura burst through the cloud of dust.

Pain rocked Gohan's body as he rose to his feet, body broken and bleeding in several places from Vegeta's hammering blows, and it hurt to even stand on his own two feet. They had only been fighting for a few minutes, probably not even five or six to a normal person, but to someone moving so fast they produced a sonic boom it seemed like hours. Especially if you were the person receiving most of the punishment, seeing as Vegeta hardly had a scratch on him, his face twisting into the ugliest scowl Gohan had ever seen on another person.

"You are pathetic boy, you haven't learned anything yet, and it's hard to believe you ever will," Vegeta snorted, slapping him across the face, "Your father is a Saiya-jin, the Super Saiya-jin, and he fights like one! How can you, his son, fall so short of your heritage?"

"I'm just...not a fighter," Gohan coughed, his aura growing slightly, "I'm not like...other Saiya-jin."

"LIES!" Vegeta spat, kicking the boy in the stomach, "You are Saiya-jin, it is in your blood to kill, to fight! To show your enemies what it means to face the most powerful race in existence!"

"I'm not the most powerful...I'm...just a kid," Gohan snarled, his eyes rolling back and muscles bulging, "I can't...be strongest..."

"That's right, because your just like your low-class clown of a father!" the prince smirked, drawing back for a punch, "You are weak, just like he is, but unlike him, you will always be a weakling!"

Vegeta threw the punch towards his opponent's head, nearly smashing it into his face and shattering his skull, but that all came to a screeching halt as Gohan's hand shot up and clutched the prince's hand. The small boy's muscles were trembling as his whole body shook with unbridled rage, his eyes rolling back in his head to leave nothing but white behind. The grip was like a vice, squeezing the Saiya-jin prince's hand so hard that it was beginning to go numb, even beginning to feel the bones crack in his wrist as Gohan's grip got even tighter.

"I...am...not...A WEAKLING!" Gohan roared, releasing Vegeta's arm and slamming his fist into his face, "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WEAK!"

_"So this is it, this is the power that toppled even Frieza!"_ Vegeta awed, his eyes wider than usual, _"It's amazing...and in a child..."_

The prince was scared, for the first time since he had seen Frieza's power in his fourth form, and he could feel his composure beginning to break as he backed away from the feral child before him. It was almost as though the whole planet was shaking under the hybrid's power, his aura a pulsating wave of red hot energy and his emotions nothing but pure rage. Even Frieza had not been this cold in his hatred for others, seeing as he did have warriors that he favored and took good care of, and Vegeta had never seen such overwhelming power in a child of any race.

Gohan was in a rampage, destroying anything that moved within his range of sight or even within his ki sensing range, Vegeta barely managing to avoid the powerful blasts of energy. If he kept it up at the rate he was going the young hybrid would eventually destroy not only the entire area, but possibly the planet that he had fought so hard to protect not a year ago. The prince knew that he needed to end this fight quickly, more than likely needing to incapacitate the child in order to do so, and he had just the attack to manage such a feat.

"I had hoped you wouldn't require me to use this, but you have left me no choice brat!" Vegeta snarled, a blue wave of ki in his hand, "BIG BANG ATTACK!"

Gohan looked right at the wave of energy with indifference, at least until right before the blast was going to slam into him, his eyes turning back to their normal black and widening. He was afraid, that much was clear in his eyes as he tried to back away from the blast, but it was far too close and there wouldn't be enough time to avoid the powerful attack. The small boy was certain that he was going to die, covering his face to prepare for the impact of the blow, but that never came as something quite unexpected happened.

Vegeta flung himself in front of the powerful blast, causing it to explode just moments before it would have hit Gohan, destroying some of his armor and the durable bodysuit in the process. Gohan was now more shocked than anything as the prince's body smoked somewhat, his face twisted in a pained expression as he rose to his full height, even if it wasn't intimidating. Despite that, Gohan was very intimidated that the Saiya-jin prince was able to take such a blow without showing any pain, his face the normal scowl that it always was.

"Perhaps you aren't as weak as I thought," Vegeta scoffed, narrowing his eyes at the boy, "Go home now brat, I have training to attend to and don't need some kid getting in my way!"

"Yes sir, I'll be on my way," Gohan bowed, lifting into the air, "And thank you, for saving me just now."

"I said on your way brat!" Vegeta snapped, his aura rising slightly, "I have things to attend to!"

Taking that as his hint to get out of the place as soon as humanly possible, Gohan took off into the air quickly, not looking back as he headed for the ass-chewing that awaited him when he got home. Vegeta watched as the boy headed off for his mountain home, a small smirk of pride spreading over his face for just a moment, then melting into a twisted snarl of pain. His own attack had been more powerful than even he suspected and was burning his flesh even now, turning even his thick skin into a giant blister as he collapsed in a heap in the desert.

The prince's breathing was growing heavier as the hot sun bore down upon him and heated the already red-hot blistering on his skin, his body beginning to shut down from the force of his attack. He could feel bones broken under his skin, more than likely several of his ribs and few shoulder bones, but none of that mattered as his vision began to swim and the desert blurred out. Spots were dancing before the Saiya-jin man's eyes and his breath was slowing, the last thing streaking past his vision a small lizard just before everything went black...

_**Updated Power Levels**_

Vegeta: 2,500,000

w/Big Bang: 5,000,000

Gohan: 1,750,000

w/anger: 4,500,000

_**Author's Notes:** Well, it certainly was humiliating for Vegeta to be beaten so hard by a small boy, just as it was for Gohan when Vegeta was beating him, but a certain bond was formed in the process. A bond that will eventually lead to other things later on in this story, but that is another part of an as of yet growing story and I can't give away anything further at this time._

_The next chapter will feature Chi-Chi actually worrying about her houseguest when he doesn't make it home for dinner and going out to get him, finding the prince heavily burned and injured. What will the finding lead to between the battle-hardened Saiya-jin prince and his greatest rival's wife, now that she realizes that he isn't the invulnerable ass he would lead them to think he is? You'll have to stay tuned to find out, but for now I leave you in suspense! Until next time!_


	4. Bonding

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 3- "Bonding"_

_By- Tiny_

Chi-Chi had been pacing the house over and over again as she waited for her 'guest' to return for dinner, as he had every other night over the last week, and for some reason he still hadn't shown up. Gohan had come home rather beaten up and with his clothes torn to hardly more than shreds, earning him a good scolding from his mother in the process, but Vegeta had yet to return. It was almost as though he didn't want to come back to her home, even though he had nowhere else to go, and it had been when the clock struck ten that she decided to go out and look for him.

Gohan had mentioned that the prince was training in the desert somewhere, probably the same place he had fought Goku only a short time before, so that was where she decided to start looking. She had already been over the whole area once and was making her second pass when she spotted something in the canyon, barely visible from so high up but still there. Deciding it was the best lead she had gotten and was likely to get in this place, she put her aircar down in the sand nearby and ventured into the canyon in search of the Saiya-jin prince.

The place reeked of some kind of fluid that she had smelled at sometime or another in her past, but she couldn't quite place what the smell was as she maneuvered through the tight quarters of the craggy walls. She knew that Vegeta had to be in here somewhere at this point, as she found most of his armor discarded a few feet inside of the canyon and there were pieces of his bodysuit everywhere. The smell was getting worse as she moved up through the canyon further, expecting to stumble upon the prince at any moment, but never expecting to see what awaited her.

She finally found the Saiya-jin's nearly unconscious form about halfway into the shady part of the canyon, his hair matted with thick clods of dirt and skin cut open in many places by the sharp rocks. His eyes were bloodshot with dark rings underneath them from where he had been fighting sleep for most of the day, his lips chapped and cracked due to lack of moisture. To top it all off, there was a massive sore along his side that looked almost like a big blister had popped there, and judging by the heavy amount of fluid around his body that was likely the case.

Seeing the Saiya-jin man like this, so battered and torn inside the walls of this craggy canyon, brought a pang of guilt to Chi-Chi's heart as she moved closer, wondering how she was going to get him out of here. Vegeta had always presented himself as the invincible and all-powerful prince of the Saiya-jin, acting as though nothing was capable of besting him or causing him pain. Yet here he was now, still holding on to life by what little threads he had left and still fighting, even though he had so little energy left that it wasn't doing him much good.

"Get...away from me...woman," the prince spat, or would have if he had any spit left, "I do not...need...any...assistance."

"Nice try, but your too injured to get out of here by yourself, now just let me help you for once!" Chi-Chi said sternly, placing Vegeta's arm over her neck, "Do you think you can walk with me to the exit there? Your not exactly a lightweight and it's hard to hold you up..."

Vegeta couldn't help but chuckle weakly as he moved his legs in step with her movements, barely able to manage that due to how low his energy had dropped, his side searing with white hot pain. His scrapes and other wounds were covered with sand and dirt from where he had been crawling and, though he had a feeling they wouldn't get infected, they would hurt him quite a bit. Still, he tried not to show as much in front of the small woman helping him along, though he couldn't quite understand why he was trying so hard to show no weakness to someone who posed no threat.

Chi-Chi seemed to know that that was exactly what he was trying to do as she looked over at him, her eyes wide and glazed over with pity, and then shook her head at the prince. She was not impressed by his continued attempt to prove that he was invincible and 'perfectly fine', and Vegeta could tell as much by the way she seemed to 'accidentally' bump into the wall a few times. Each bump sent a fresh wave of pain through Vegeta's body, causing him to wince slightly and bringing a soft smile to the human woman's face.

It took a few minutes to get to the aircar, due mostly to the fact that Chi-Chi was having to support the prince's considerable bulk most of the way, but once they got there she tossed him in the back as gently as she could manage. It was cold inside the car and it caused him to shiver slightly, his open wounds still very sensitive, and Chi-Chi had to turn up the heat a little bit to make him as comfortable as possible. His eyes were blinking open and shut as his body began to drift off, but he managed to give the small woman one last look before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Chi-Chi didn't know what it was that washed over her as the Saiya-jin prince looked her in the eyes, at least not at that time, but she did know that it was like something between them suddenly clicked. She tried to shake the feeling off as she took them both back to her house, the Saiya-jin man snoozing in her backseat all the way, but nothing she tried worked. She always found herself looking back at the Saiya-jin prince and thinking that if he didn't survive this that something inside of her would die with him, though that didn't make any sense to her mind.

_"Whatever's going on Chi-Chi, if he doesn't make it then it's nobody's fault but his own for being so stubborn,"_ the woman told herself over and over, _"You aren't going to suffer one bit if he doesn't make it. Not one bit..."_

And yet, even as she though these things, she looked back at the Saiya-jin prince and felt a tear form in her eye, quickly wiping it away and trying only to think of getting them both back home. She would be unsuccessful the whole trip and Vegeta must have known it for, even in his sleep, he smirked slightly every time the human woman thought of him...

On a planet deep into space, a few hundred light years from the now destroyed Nameksei, a young man sprang from his bed in a hurry, his body slick with sweat and the sheets sticking to him. The planet had a natural temperature that was much higher than that of his home, but he still felt very cold as he wandered outside to gaze up at the stars overhead. They were always beautiful in the blackness of this planet's night, twinkling like a billion jewels high overhead, but that didn't seem to matter much to this man's heavy mind as he looked for his home among the stars.

He was still out there stargazing when another figure emerged from the small hut he was staying in, the form turning out to be a smaller female, probably just entering her early teens in human years. Her body was slender but still very athletic, her muscles tight and noticeable on her small form, and her hair came down over her shoulders in thick locks of jet black. She actually looked a lot like the man standing before her, at least in the face and eyes, and she seemed worried about him as he let out a drawn out sigh and sat down on the ground.

"Something wrong uncle?" the girl asked, sitting next to him, "You seem...distant."

"It's nothing...just...I felt cold and needed some air," the older man answered, still gazing up at the stars, "I wanted to see if I could find my home up there, but as usual I couldn't."

"You worry too much, I'm sure everyone on Earth is waiting for you to come back," the girl giggled, "And when you do, I'll bet they're all there ready to welcome you home!"

"Yeah, whatever you say," the tall man smiled, "C'mon, you need to get some sleep before we start training."

"More like you need the sleep old man, cause me and Diive are gonna kick your a...butt this time!" the girl beamed, "You won't know what hit you!"

The older man just shook his head as he ushered the young girl back inside the small hut, tucking her into bed and then heading back to his own on the other side of the building. He spent most of the night tossing and turning, trying to put whatever was troubling him out of his mind and go to sleep, but it did no good as he just lay there until the sun started to rise. He could hear his two fellow occupants getting ready to go already, inside the kitchen and devouring the food that was there, and he rose up out of his bed and rubbed his face.

_"What the hell is wrong with me?"_ the man sighed, scratching his thick head of hair, _"I'm sure nothing is wrong back home, especially not with Chi-Chi..."_

Vegeta awoke in the morning to the smell of peroxide and bandages, his body not as sore as it had been the previous evening when Chi-Chi had found him but still very sore and numb. His head throbbed with pain as he sat up in the bed his hostess had set him up in, noting in the mirror that those smells he had awoken to had been all around his body, despite the fact that most of his wounds had already healed up. Still, he was grateful to the small human woman in his own way, as she had gotten him out of the canyon and cleaned out his numerous injuries.

The thought of the human woman made him somewhat excitable as he attempted to stand up, falling back down on the bed instantly but still looked around for the woman who was treating him. Why he was so desperate to see the human woman was beyond him but nevertheless he wanted to see her, his mind thinking of nothing else as he straightened himself up in the bed. He could hear the sound of feet pitter-pattering up the stairs towards his room, the door swinging open to reveal the human woman's form as she sat a massive platter of food near him.

"I know how much you Saiya-jin like to eat and I figured you'd be up sooner or later, just not quite this early," Chi-Chi smiled softly, "Are you feeling any better this morning? You were pretty fidgety when I was cleaning the wounds..."

"I'm a Saiya-jin, woman," Vegeta grumbled, "Of course I feel better, there was nothing wrong in the first place!"

"Well, then maybe I should have left your pompous ass to rot in the canyon if there was 'nothing wrong'!" Chi-Chi snapped, getting right in his face, "Why I bothered to find you in the first place is beyond me! Why I ought to..."

The small woman was cut off abruptly as the prince grabbed her and pulled her into a deep kiss, which Chi-Chi knew she needed to get out of but, at the same time, didn't want to as she returned the kiss. Heat was building between them as Vegeta's hands brushes along her backside, the feel of his hands on her making her want to melt into his arms, but she pulled away nonetheless. Both of them seemed out of breath and each with wide, twinkling eyes and it was several minutes later before Chi-Chi finally rose to her feet and headed for the door.

"Umm...eat your breakfast and get some rest, you'll need it if you want to get better," Chi-Chi blushed all over, "I'm...I'm going to see what Gohan is up to."

Vegeta looked like he was going to protest, but didn't get the chance as Chi-Chi rushed back down the stairs, leaving the Saiya-jin prince behind to ponder what the hell had just happened. Deciding it would be easier to think on a full stomach, Vegeta began to devour the food she had brought up for him, his mind constantly going back to that kiss they had shared and why it had happened at all. The woman had been nothing but cold towards Vegeta since he had come to stay here, constantly putting him down and snapping at him for even the littlest thing.

The only real time she had shown any compassion for Vegeta had been on the previous night when she had found and treated him, and that seemed to only be because she was worried her son would be upset. Still, she had continued to look back at him on the way back to this place and he had picked up on her thoughts several times, the waves of concern mixed with fear easy to recognize. That was when it hit Vegeta, halfway through eating his food as he began to choke, realizing exactly why he had kissed her and why she hadn't pulled away immediately.

Vegeta, prince of the Saiya-jin race, had bonded with his rival's wife...

_**Author's Notes:** No power levels in this chapter due to a lack of fighting, but I hope you all enjoyed the interactions involved between Vegeta and Chi-Chi, as well as Goku and the girl in space. Yes, that was Goku and yes, that little girl is his brother's daughter and will play a critical role later on in the story, but for now anything more about her is going to be strictly hush-hush. You won't see much more of Goku for some time yet, but rest assured that he will return much sooner than in the original to play a very important part in the story._

_The next chapter will feature Chi-Chi going to Bulma and Lunch for advise on what happened the previous day, their response to her situation surprising even Chi-Chi as she falls more and more for the Saiya-jin prince. Meanwhile, Vegeta is back to his training after his wounds have fully healed, trying to put Chi-Chi out of his mind as he senses something approaching. What is the something that Vegeta is sensing and will it draw him closer to Chi-Chi or pull them apart? Stay tuned to find out!_


	5. Friendly Advice

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 4- "Friendly Advice"_

_By- Tiny_

Chi-Chi had been unable to stay in her house the next day, not with Vegeta there staring at her every time she passed by, her mind heavy with guilt for not only allowing him to kiss her, but for kissing him back! She was a married woman, a woman who had made vows to stay with Goku for better or for worse, and yet she had kissed another man and, had she not pulled away, would probably have lain in his bed. She sickened herself to think of what she may have done the previous night, but at the same time it made her blush like a little schoolgirl to know that another man wanted her.

She had left breakfast out for Gohan and their guest earlier than usual that morning and taken off immediately for Bulma's home in West City, hoping that the older woman could help her out some. After all, Bulma and Yamcha's relationship had been rocky since the dawn of time and yet they were still together, the blue-haired woman having somehow managed to cope with Yamcha's long absences. Maybe she would have some words of wisdom for her friend concerning Goku, but that was not the case once she began talking to Bulma about the situation.

The blue-haired genius had actually started laughing, nearly falling out of her chair and rolling on the ground as Chi-Chi told her exactly what had happened and why she felt so bad about it. Chi-Chi didn't find it very amusing that her life as she knew it was falling apart around her, the love she thought she felt for Goku becoming so distant a memory and her newfound longing for the Saiya-jin prince. Bulma knew it wasn't a funny situation as well but just couldn't help herself as she continued to giggle, wiping a tear from her eye as she looked over the table at her friend.

"Chi-Chi, I don't mean to make fun, but you are so funny!" Bulma giggled softly, sipping her coffee, "Vegeta actually pulled you down to him and kissed you?"

_"More like tried to examine my throat,"_ Chi-Chi blushed, but nodded, "Bulma, I don't know what to do. Gohan likes Vegeta and I can't just kick him out, but I'm a married woman! I'm not supposed to..."

"Chi-Chi, I'm one of your husband's oldest friends...hell, I was the first person he ever MET other than his grandfather," Bulma sighed, folding her arms over her chest, "Yet he makes me sick, always running off to play the hero or to train, yet not coming home to his wife and son. A husband isn't supposed to just run off and come back when it's convenient for him."

"I knew when I married Goku that he would be running off now and then to train Bulma, just...not that it would be in space," Chi-Chi sniffled, "Gohan said that he was a hero, that he became some kind of legend and beat Frieza...what kind of hero doesn't come home to his family?"

Bulma didn't really respond to the question at first, getting up from her seat in the kitchen and looking onto the counter at an old photograph, one she had taken nearly a decade ago. It was a picture of the old gang, taken just before the Tenkaichi Budokai where Goku defeated Piccolo, a picture where they all looked so happy and carefree, like nothing else mattered but each other. Goku had met Chi-Chi on that very day, married her within the next one, and taken vows to be there for her and cherish her until death did them part.

And that was when it hit Bulma that death had done the couple part, Goku had been killed almost three years ago when they fought his brother, and ever since had had almost nothing to do with Chi-Chi. The bond that they had apparently formed over their five year marriage had shattered that day, though neither of them seemed aware of it, but to Bulma that meant one thing. Alive or not today, Goku had died and their marriage contract was broken and that meant that Chi-Chi was a free woman, not bound to the man she had thought she loved anymore.

"Chi-Chi...I think that you should move one with your life," Bulma smiled softly, looking back at her friend, "Even if Goku does come back, it won't be long before he takes off again for parts unknown and then...who knows when he'll be back! It'll be better for not only you but for Gohan to have a steady father figure in the picture."

"But...I'm still married to Goku Bulma," Chi-Chi protested, about as red as a tomato, "I can't just..."

"Yes you can just!" Bulma interrupted, holding her friend's hand, "Your vows said 'til death do us part and Goku has died, even if he is alive now! You are a free woman and I'm not going to watch my only real friend pine away for a man who's not worth the trouble!"

Chi-Chi looked ready to cry at Bulma's words, though the tears were not of guilt for betraying her husband or of sadness, but tears of happiness that she had turned to the right person for advice. She didn't even try to stop herself as she wrapped her arms around the older woman and embraced her warmly, tears streaming down her face as she whispered 'thank you' nearly a hundred times. Bulma, embarrassed as she was with another woman hugging her so, could only smile and hug her friend back, both unaware of onlookers just outside the kitchen.

Yamcha had been standing there for nearly the whole conversation, starting when Chi-Chi mentioned her budding feelings for Vegeta, as had the three-eyed human Tien, both of whom had just finished training. Both were slightly stunned by Bulma's advice to Chi-Chi, having expected her to say that she needed to stay with her husband and kick the prince out of her house like an overgrown pest. Still, they had to admit that Bulma made some good points, as Goku never wanted to come home when, for the rest of them at least, home was exactly where they wished they were.

"Do you think we should tell Krillin about this?" Yamcha asked, looking up at his more powerful friend, "I mean, he is Goku's best friend and is very close to Gohan..."

"No, he would react badly and end up getting himself killed," Tien shook his head, "The best thing to do now would be to wait it out and see what happens."

"I hope your right Tien," Yamcha nodded, stepping away from the kitchen, "For the sake of everyone involved."

_"That makes two of us Yamcha..."_

The human woman had not been the only one who couldn't stay in the house due to uncomfortable circumstances, with Vegeta sending Gohan off to train with his old mentor earlier and then taking off himself. His wounds had not fully healed when he left, though they were not severe enough to cause him much more pain, and the prince had decided to return to his training. He had been out there since the early morning, just after eating his breakfast, and his gaping blister wound had sealed up now, fully healed and causing no pain whatsoever.

Sweat poured from the Saiya-jin man's body as he pushed his limits against an invisible opponent, trying to put the image of the human woman out of his mind but ultimately being unsuccessful. It turned out to be a good thing, however, as every time he would see her falling into Goku's arms upon his return his blood boiled and his rage came out as raw energy. The plain he was training in actually shook violently under the prince's power as his body became enveloped in a reddish-orange aura, shooting his power level higher than ever as he trained.

He wanted his rival's wife badly, his body aching to hold her in his arms again though he would never admit as much openly, but he just knew that it wasn't ever going to happen. Her husband was a Super Saiya-jin, after all, his power was so much higher than that of the prince that there wouldn't even be a contest of he challenged his rival for the woman's hand. The man who had been born a third-class loser would wipe the floor with Vegeta, prince of the Saiya-jin race, and take the woman the prince wanted back to his bed once again.

Vegeta's anger was so all consuming that he hardly noticed that as he was training his power continued to rise higher and higher, the formerly reddish aura brightening to a brilliant gold as his eyes turned teal. His muscles were bulging with nearly every punch that he threw, his hair flashing between it's normal dark brown and a golden blonde, but never quite making it. He might have completed the change had it not been for a large power crossing his senses, distant, but still strong enough for him to feel it and suddenly forget about his training.

The power was tremendous, rivaling even the power he had felt emanating from his rival during his fight with Frieza, but the Saiya-jin man simply couldn't place where he had felt anything like it before. It didn't feel like Frieza or his lackey's, nor did it feel like King Kold or Koola, though the power was certainly high enough that it could give the overgrown lizards a run for their money. A lesser man would have shaken in his boots and thought the situation lost, but Vegeta was a warrior and turned just in time to see a small boy and a very large Nameksei-jin standing before him.

They both looked as stunned as he felt, their eyes wide as saucer plates and simply staring up into the sky, trying to get a feel for how far away the energy was and, more importantly, who it was. Piccolo seemed a bit more in the know than the small boy beside him, his eyes narrowing and calculating, though Vegeta chose to ignore this for the time being as he hovered over towards them. His power had dropped back to normal now, excited at the prospect of a good fight but dreading a defeat at the hands of a superior opponent once again.

"Get yourselves ready and gather your so-called friends," Vegeta ordered, taking off for his temporary home, "We have training to do!"

_"So...he has made his way here after all,"_ Piccolo mused, his eyes never leaving the sky above, _"But _why_ is he coming here?"_

_**Updated Power Levels**_

Vegeta: 3,200,000

nearly SSJ: 11,000,000

_**Author's Notes:** Chi-Chi has come to terms with the fact that her marriage is a farce and that she can actually move on with her life, be it with Vegeta or not, but does not know that two of her husbands friends know of this. Meanwhile, Vegeta is drawing closer and closer to the power of his ancestors, but had much more on his mind as he wrestles with his feelings for the human woman and the incoming danger. All of this will make for one hell of a climax later on, but for now let's just leave it where it is._

_The next chapter will feature the Earth's warriors beginning to prepare for a conflict with an enemy that they know almost nothing about, save that they are nearly as powerful as Frieza and just as dangerous. Piccolo, however, seems to know exactly what is coming for our heroes and Vegeta wants to know what it is, even if it means he has to take on the powerful Nameksei-jin. To see how it all plays out you'll have to stay tuned, so until then, read and review!_


	6. Answers

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 5- "Answers"_

_By- Tiny_

The fighters of Earth had gone their separate ways after learning of this new threat to their tranquility, heading off to train for the imminent arrival within the next few months, possibly even weeks. The mime-like human, Chautzu, had opted not to train, seeing as he was weaker than everyone else by a considerable margin and felt he would do no good, so that only left three of the human defenders to battle it out. They had improved in the short time since the battle with Frieza ended, each easily as strong as the Kurudo-jin's first form by now, one even stronger than that at this point.

Surprisingly enough, Chi-Chi had not objected to Gohan's training to combat this upcoming threat to the planet, merely had insisted that he be allowed to study as well so that he did not fall behind. Vegeta had agreed to her terms, begrudgingly, but was being sure to keep his distance from the human woman while he stayed in the house, the tension between them still very, very thick. He hoped that the tension would die down eventually, so as he might become better capable of exploring the bond they had formed, but in the meantime it was best if he kept his distance.

The Nameksei-jin Piccolo had been incredibly silent during the explanation of what was coming, his eyes seemingly distant and reflecting on things past, almost as though he wasn't there in the moment. He had also been the first to leave and begin his training in the desert wastes that he called his home, throwing down the weighted clothes he normally wore due to the intense heat. It would make it harder for his power to increase through training, but he was in no mood to focus only on his training as he sparred against himself, his mind dwelling on the power off in the distance.

He had been in the desert for hours, training as hard as he could manage without the aid of his weighted clothes, his body covered in a warm sweat from the intense methods which he employed in his battles. Piccolo was troubled, his mind heavy with the knowledge of what was coming to this planet and knowing that he could do nothing to stop the monster's coming thanks to his defusing with Kami centuries before. The man coming to this planet that he now called his home was far more powerful than even Frieza had been, or at least he had been during his youth ages before, and nobody on the planet stood a chance against him.

The Nameksei-jin was about to start up his training once more when he sensed someone behind him, a fairly large power but not one that he was afraid of, not even close as he swung his elbow around for a strike. The blow never connected, instead being caught in the powerful grasp of a diminutive Saiya-jin prince, the ebony eyes of the monarch curious and, at the same time, calculating. A lesser man would have cringed at the mere sight of such an intense gaze, but Piccolo was not afraid of the Saiya-jin man and merely snorted as the prince let his arm go.

"You know something," Vegeta stated matter-of-factly, "I want to know what you are hiding from the rest of us."

"I hide nothing," Piccolo spat, "All I know is that there is a large power out there and that..."

"Do not lie to me Nameksei-jin!" Vegeta snapped, slapping the green man across the face, "You are not dealing with that bumbling moron Kakarot, I am intelligent and I know when someone is hiding something from me. You are either going to tell me what that is or I am going to see to it that this planet needs a new guardian."

"Very well, but only because I wish to fight this man myself," Piccolo growled, "Long ago, there were three fighters on my home planet known as the Super Nameksei-jin, three warriors with power surpassing that of any others. Even your Super Saiya-jin would have gotten into trouble against one of them, but all three together, when it counted...they were invincible."

"Quite an amusing tale," Vegeta scoffed, "What happened to them?"

"Two were banished from the planet using the Dragonballs after the ringleader, a warrior known Slug, tried to usurp the elders," Piccolo continued, "The one who remained was named Guru, but he used what was left of his power to repair the damage done by his brethren; he was the elder of that planet when Frieza attacked. The other two were known as Slug and Zildar; Slug went off to conquer worlds in his anger, Zildar went wandering and landed on a barren mudheap and rose to a position of great power."

"Which of the two is on our way here?" Vegeta smirked, "Slug, or this other you speak of who holds the power?"

"Slug is the one on his way here, his signature is unmistakable," Piccolo answered, his eyes distant once more, "Slug was not the most powerful of the three but he is the last and thus is a greater danger than you can possibly imagine."

Vegeta simply nodded as he turned and prepared to take off into the night sky, his mind jumbled with thoughts of how to best combat this new threat now that he knew what was coming. What disturbed him the most was just how much the Nameksei-jin warrior knew about this new threat and how accurate his descriptions were, almost as though he had met the dangerous foe in the past. Turning back to his fellow warrior, Vegeta could see those distant eyes staring up into the sky once more, the sun setting on the horizon giving the desert an almost painted appearance.

"What of the other Nameksei-jin, Zildar?" Vegeta asked, "Did such a powerful foe merely kick off after living so long?"

"He often wished he could have that luxury, but he lives still, though he is only half the man he once was," Piccolo answered with a smirk, "One half is the fighter, the other the intellectual, but they remain one in the same. Go now, I have training to do."

Vegeta asked no more and simply took off into the twilight, his white aura blazing behind him as he left the former Super Nameksei-jin to his training, his mind heavy with the thought of the battle that loomed ever closer...

Chi-Chi was busily cleaning up the house while her guest was away, dusting and sweeping up the mess that had been left by her son while he was studying after his training finished for the day. She was working on the fireplace when an old photograph fell down from the mantle, the glass breaking as it hit the hardwood floor and starling the poor woman as she knelt to clean it up. The picture was one of herself and Goku back when Gohan was first born, right after the couple had married, all three of them looking happier than Chi-Chi thought they had ever been before.

She could feel tears streaming down her face as she thought back on those good times many years ago, her heart heavy with the knowledge that those days were long gone and that they would not be coming back. She hated Goku so much for leaving them, always rushing off to face the next great challenge with no thought to his family, only wishing to satisfy his own hunger to grow stronger. Yet, at the same time, a part of her still loved the goofy, child-like man for the son he had given her, a boy who was not only strong like his father, but who possessed an intellect unrivaled by any other boy his age.

Chi-Chi may well have spent the rest of the night pondering these thoughts in silence were it not for the sound of breathing behind her, the familiar scent of sweat and dust rising into her nostrils as she turned around. Vegeta had been silent coming into the house from his journey into the night hours, as he always was, and one could easily tell that he had been training again. If not due to the sweat that made his tan skin glisten in the lights then one knew due to the tightness of his muscles from being strained during sparring, or because of the way he held his body, as a Goku always had after training.

"You need a bath, I'll go get some water started outside," Chi-Chi smiled, trying to mask her discomfort, "It'll be ready in a few minutes, so you can go eat in the meantime, we saved you some dinner."

"Kakarot is a Saiya-jin, it is in his nature to seek a challenge and go off to meet it, just as it is in my nature...in your son's nature," Vegeta said, ignoring her statement, "We are the last of what was once a great and proud warrior race, a race who thrived on the battlefield and who met any challenge without fear, without concern for our well-being, and without any regrets."

"So nice to know he doesn't regret not coming home to his family," Chi-Chi sniffled, putting the picture down, "Are all of you like that, or do some of you actually care about your family?"

"Third-class soldiers were always restless, they only came home when they needed to be with their mates and to see their children," Vegeta answered, "Elites were much the same way, though they tended to remain on-planet most of the time, as servants to the royal household."

Chi-Chi just snorted as she went back about her duties, dusting off the rest of the mantle and heading for the coffee table when a pair of arms turned her around, her large black eyes meeting those of her house guest. There was always something different within his eyes whenever she looked into them, be it anger and hurt or sorrow and pride, but this time there was something she had never seen before. His eyes were showing her compassion and, if she was reading things right, a hint of pity, a kind of understanding clicking between them and he came closer to her.

Heat was building between the two people as Vegeta loomed before her, his body clad only in the pants he wore for training, giving her a good view of the tight and toned muscles he usually kept concealed under his armor. She herself felt like stripping a few layers off to keep from breaking out in a sweat, but didn't really trust herself not to go closer to him if she should do so now. She was a proud woman and refused to back away from Vegeta, the Saiya-jin standing only a few inches away now, his scent filling her nostrils and driving her nearly into euphoria just being so close to him.

"Stop, this isn't right," the human woman gasped, her chest heaving, "You aren't my husband."

"Your right about one thing," Vegeta smirked, pulling her up against his body, "I am not Kakarot..."

And before she could even utter a protest, Vegeta pulled Chi-Chi into a hot, passionate kiss, his hand trailing along her backside, moving to undo her dress and, this time, she did not try to stop him...

_**Author's Notes:** No naughtiness this time guys, though I'm sure you can take a guess as to what happens after this little scene, even without me writing it out in full and graphic details! The bond between the two will now be complete and you'll see as they interact more and more just how deep it goes, especially once the battle with Slug and his minions gets underway. The others reactions will be priceless as well, once they find out about all this, so be sure to stay tuned for that!_

_The next chapter will focus on the immediate aftermath of the previous night as Chi-Chi wakes up on the couch with Vegeta, clothes all over the place and some pieces of furniture...in pieces. How will the human woman deal with her decision from the previous night and, more importantly, how will her son react when he finds out about it? To find out, you'll have to tune in next time..._


	7. The Morning After

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 7- "The Morning After"_

_By- Tiny_

The Lookout was peaceful in the wee hours of the morning, the aged guardian known only as Kami gazing out over the world below, his keen senses monitoring the activities of his charges on the surface. He had been doing this job since before any of the people on the planet were even an itch in their parent's loins, and he was good at his job, but lately he had begun to feel that his job on this planet was coming to a close. Darkness was creeping into the corners of the world and something lay on the horizon that frightened the aged Namkesei-jin immensely, though he didn't as yet know what.

Kami knew it wasn't the upcoming battle with Slug, he already knew what was to be the outcome of that battle, even though it had not yet occurred and would not for a little longer as of yet. For some reason the future of the planet was unknown and eluded the guardian's foresight, and the only time that had previously happened was just before Piccolo was killed during the battle with the Saiya-jin. He had known his time as guardian was up at that point in the course of history, even if that little trip to the great beyond had been short lived and now...it meant his time was up once more.

His fears were only confirmed when he felt a slightly more disturbed and darker presence on the Lookout right behind him, causing the guardian's face to wrinkle a little more as he turned to face his visitor. It had been a long time since Piccolo and Kami had met face to face, not since their last fight with each other many years ago, but now the time had come that their meeting was of the utmost importance. The enemy would be on the planet in hours, they had come far faster than Vegeta or the others had anticipated, and Kami knew that the fighters of Earth would need every advantage they could get.

"I see you've been expecting me, old man," Piccolo growled, removing his cape and turban, "And if that's true, then you know exactly why I've come here and what it is I want with you Kami."

"I know what you want Piccolo and I know what must be done for my planet, but I am not going to do anything just yet," the aged guardian replied, "Popo is out gathering someone for me and I refuse to go through with your plan until he returns."

"We don't have time for this sentimental nonsense, you old bastard!" Piccolo snapped, his fist shaking, "I don't care if Popo is here or not, Slug will be here in a matter of months and I for one don't want to be caught unprepared!"

"You will watch your tongue while on my platform Piccolo and you will wait or this isn't going to happen," Kami retorted, "Popo is arriving now, so if you don't mind I wish to go and meet him and my guest."

"Guest?" Piccolo chuckled, "Giving tours of the Lookout now, old timer?"

"Something like that, now shut up," Kami rolled his eyes, walking over the dark genie known as Popo, "Popo, I see you have brought our young friend to see us at last! Did you have a good trip?"

Piccolo didn't pay any attention to the rest of the conversation as he studied the newcomer to the Lookout, getting a good look at the young man's features and studying his aura intensely. It was a human teenager, probably no more than sixteen or seventeen years old if he was a day, dressed in a pair of baggy white cargo pants and a black tanktop underneath a long-sleeve, billowy white shirt. His hair was the most pristine white color that Piccolo had ever seen with intense, yet wise looking blue eyes that almost felt like they were peering into the Nameksei-jin's very soul and analyzing it.

As for the young man's aura, it was almost as pure and innocent as that of the Saiya-jin warrior Goku's had been at that age, almost appearing to make him glow a faint blue color in the early morning sunshine. He was strong as well, radiating almost as much power from his compact form as that of the human fighter Krillin, something that shouldn't have been possible from a person still so young and innocent. It made no sense to Piccolo why Kami would call this young man to the Lookout so suddenly, and more curiously why he wouldn't go through with what needed to be done until he arrived.

"Piccolo, I would like you to meet Kale; he's been training under Kame-Sennin and his former students for the last couple of years since I found him," Kami explained, "I've also been training him personally by having him battle against foes you've faced in the past, through use of the Pendulum Room of course."

"I don't see what that has to do with..."

"Allow me to finish Piccolo," Kami interrupted, "Kale here is by no means a normal human teenager, as I'm sure you can tell by how strong he has become in only a short amount of time. This is not only due to the fact that, in his past life, Kale here was a great human warrior known as Olibu and now, in this life, he has been born with the adept skills of a guardian."

"Do you mean to tell me that you've held me up so you could find a replacement for your old ass!" Piccolo snapped, his aura rising, "Kami, if I didn't need you for my plan..."

"Then you'd have waited nonetheless, because you can't do this without him and you want to save this planet as badly as the next person," Kale finally spoke, striding up to the former demon king, "You are not as evil as you would lead us to think Piccolo, otherwise you wouldn't give a damn if your old friend came to this planet and razed it to the ground."

"The kid catches on quickly, even if he has picked up a bit of a smart mouth from his other sensei's," Kami smiled, handing his old, crooked staff to the young man, "Now, we are ready to finish this Piccolo...the time has finally come."

"About time we saw eye to eye on this old man, but let's get this straight now, we're using MY body for this, not yours!" Piccolo snorted, "I'm not going to go about fighting Slug in some old, wrinkled form."

"You mean...Kami, you can't!" Popo objected, "The Dragonballs will disappear...and what about your charges?"

"Kale will take care of all that now, he is more than ready, and he will be able to hold his own against anything that comes to threaten the sanctity of this planet," Kami waved his aid's protests off, "Besides, as Kale said, Piccolo is no longer as evil as he once was and I'm sure that he'll use this new power I'm granting him for the good of this planet. Now let's get this over with; Piccolo, place your hand on my chest and concentrate."

Piccolo didn't argue with the old man any more and simply placed his right palm over the emblem on Kami's chest, allowing the aged guardian's power to begin transferring into his own body. With Nail, it had been almost instantaneous, but with Kami something strange began to happen as the energy transferred, a blue aura surrounding him as a red one came over Piccolo's own body, the wind on the Lookout intensifying. Piccolo looked slightly stunned, but not nearly as much as Kale and Popo, who had run off to the insides of the Lookout and watched from a safe distance.

The entire platform was filled with smoke from where the wind had picked up around the two Nameksei-jin, but it slowly began to clear as Piccolo rose up out of the smoke-filled area, back in his full uniform once more. His body was practically aglow with energy as the great warrior rose to his feet, Kami nowhere in sight but his own energy pulsing through the Lookout in sequence with Piccolo's. It was the first time in almost a thousand years since the two Nameksei-jin had been one in the same, but the sheer sight of him, despite the fact he hadn't changed in appearance almost brought the others to awe.

"Kami warned me that this would be a sight...but I've never sensed so much power in one person!" Kale gulped, his blue eyes wide with wonder, "I never in my wildest dreams would have thought it...I wonder what his name is now?"

"I am a Nameksei-jin warrior who has long forgotten his name, and at the moment it doesn't matter, for war is upon us," Piccolo smirked, throwing his cape and turban to the ground with a thud, then looking back at the others, "So long, my friends. I must go..."

Chi-Chi awoke with a start in her own bed at her home, naked as the day she was born with her clothes strewn all about the room in various locations, not to mention a great deal of the room's furniture being smashed up. She recalled the previous night quite vividly, if not with a blush crossing over her face at the thought of the things that she had let the Saiya-jin prince do to her. Not that she had minded in the least how he had handled her or how she had handled him at the same time, but she did kind of regret it, seeing as she was still a married woman and a mother to a young, very impressionable son.

The human woman, still feeling a little ashamed of herself, slid out from under the covers and began to put her clothes on, opting for something a little less constricting than her usual kimono and left her hair in a loose ponytail. She wasn't accustomed to wearing jeans or loose fitting clothes of any kind anymore, not since she got married to Goku and had tried to become a good and loving housewife. Now that that image was shattered due to her night of passion with the Saiya-jin prince, she no longer felt it was necessary to hide the way she would prefer to be from anyone, including herself.

She didn't see Vegeta at first when she rose to her feet, though his clothes were still all over the place and didn't look like they had been gathered up, but she did finally catch up to him when she went out into the hallway. The Saiya-jin man was about halfway dressed, clad only in the lower portion of his bodysuit and a pair of boots, his face just as stern and rough as it usually was. It actually made Chi-Chi blush a little bit more being so close to the man yet again, confined in the same space where most of their clothes had been discarded the previous night, noticing that Gohan was right behind him, a big grin on his little face.

"Apparently, your son walked in on us last night and, as a condition of him 'allowing' me to be with his mother, I've been asked to train you," Vegeta grumbled, his eyes darting to the small boy, "Change out of those jeans and into something a bit less constraining to your movement; training begins in thirty minutes."

"Gohan...you actually...saw what we were doing last night?" Chi-Chi asked her son, Vegeta heading outside, "Why didn't you try to stop him, or to stop me for that matter?"

"Because I need someone to look up to in my life that will understand and, possibly, be accepting of how I am, not shun me like...others," Gohan smiled, a flash of pain washing over his face for a second, "Besides, your a grown woman, you don't need my approval."

"But your father...aren't you concerned about his feelings?" Chi-Chi asked, heading towards her room to change, "I mean.."

"I don't want to talk about HIM, so please just get ready and come on outside before Vegeta takes out his frustration on me!" Gohan gulped, running down the stairs, "Don't keep us waiting for too long!"

_"Wow...I certainly wasn't expecting that kind of a reaction,"_ Chi-Chi gasped, looking for a good set of training gear, _"The boy really isn't like his father..."_

Somewhere out in the depths of space, on a straight course for Earth with nothing but the worst intentions planned for the small blue planet, rocketed a massive frozen sphere with a couple thousand occupants. One of them, a very tall and sinister looking being with dark green skin and a crooked scar over his face stepped out onto his balcony, looking up at the stars as they zoomed overhead. He had been waiting for this day ever since he was banished from his home world many centuries before, though he had managed to keep himself youthful with the aid of a magician on his ship.

He could feel the powers down on Earth, one significantly higher than all the others standing out like a beacon of light, but that mattered very little to the dark warrior, for it was not enough to match his own strength. There were two he was concerned with, as they constantly grew in strength on an almost daily basis and, a few days prior, he had felt one rise to almost his power level. He was frightened of the prospect that someone on that little blue planet would even have a prayer of defeating him, but shook the thoughts from his mind as a smirk came over his face, the outer planet known as Pluto coming into view.

"Soon, the Dragonballs of this planet will be mine," the dark lord smirked, "And then, nobody will ever be able to stop me..."

_**Updated Power Levels**_

Piccolo: 3,500,000

w/fusion: 12,500,000

Kale: 1,850,000

**_Authors Notes:_** _Not as much focus on the happy couple as one would have expected, but I needed to get to the moment with Piccolo and Kami, as well as introducing an original character as Kami's replacement. After all, I feel that the planet should be guarded and taken care of by someone who is native to the world, not by an outside power because "they can't do it on their own". Kale will play an important role not only as guardian, but also in the upcoming battles in the story, as he has a fighter's spirit and doesn't like sitting on the sidelines._

_The next chapter will feature Vegeta as he tries to explain the principles of defensive and offensive fighting in his race's tradition, while Gohan does some perfecting on a technique he feels will be useful. It will also feature a spar between two of our human heroes, Krillin and Yamcha, as they prepare to face the enemy coming to their planet, determined not to let the Saiya-jin get that far ahead of them. To see what else awaits, stay tuned..._


	8. Art of the Kaio

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 8- "Art of the Kaio"_

_By- Tiny_

The gravity chamber in Capsule Corp. was not the best place for a sparring session, due mainly to the fact Bulma hadn't upgraded it's energy resistance yet, thus on this morning it sat empty. Rather than use the still unstable room for training purposes, two of it's occupants opted to go out over the ocean to conduct their battle, seeing as the losses would be minimal. The air was calm and not too warm yet, making it so the two lone figures weren't sweating that much with the light sparring, but that was all about to change very quickly.

The two figures training on this day were Yamcha, the former desert bandit and one of the most skilled warriors on Earth, and Krillin, the second most powerful human fighter on the planet. The two of them constantly sparred with each other, seeing as both were out of their third counterpart's league and also because of the fact that their strength's were more closely matched. Their spar had been going on for close to two hours now, about average for the warm-up between these two superb fighters, and the time was rapidly approaching for the more serious spar.

Krillin didn't look as beaten up as his older counterpart, due in large part to the sizable difference in their power levels, but he was still sweating heavily all over due to the massive amount of weights he was wearing. Yamcha's weights were equally as heavy as the smaller, younger man's, but due to how new the whole training with them on was to him he hadn't adjusted quite as well as he had hoped. He was still able to hold his own though, against a much stronger and more seasoned fighter, and he could sense now that the time had come to bring their match to a close.

"You ready to finish this, or rather for me to finish it?" Yamcha taunted, smirking in a way he didn't often do, "I'm not going to get shown up again."

"You don't think so, but you're going down Yamcha!" Krillin chuckled, a reddish twinge creeping into his aura, "Ready for the pain?"

"Bring it on, baldy!"

Yamcha didn't even know what hit him as Krillin's aura exploded in a blazing shade of blood red and the short man lunged forward, driving his fist down into his opponent's stomach. The former bandit was sent reeling backwards from the sheer force of the blow, but recovered quickly as his own aura took on the same hue and he threw a fist towards Krillin with equal ferocity. The bald fighter didn't seem that taken aback by the attack, bringing his arm up just in time to block it while throwing a counterattack, which Yamcha easily avoided.

The two warriors continued this way for some time, neither giving the other an inch as they exchanged blows back and forth, sending up large waves in the wake of their immense and steadily rising energies. Both looked more determined than ever to win their fight, even more determined than they had been back against the Saiya-jin, even if this fight was only for training. Neither of them wanted to say that they had lost to the other, not wanting the humiliation of another loss to hang over their head, and they didn't intend to have it happen this time.

Yamcha was a little distracted by thoughts of losing, so he barely noticed as Krillin swung a small ki blast into his chest, sending the older warrior back in the air a considerable distance. The short man thought that he had gained the advantage and swung his fist right for his fellow human's head, but the fist went straight through an afterimage as Yamcha moved around behind him. Krillin didn't even notice this as the older warrior rushed up behind him, his red aura blazing even brighter than before and his fist aglow with an orange-red energy.

"You aren't gonna beat me today Krillin!" Yamcha roared, the energy in his fist taking the form of a snarling wolf's head, "ROGA FU-FU KEN!"

Krillin didn't even have time to dodge as the blast slammed into his body, knocking the small man into the ocean and sending up a wave of steam, Yamcha's red aura fading as most his energy left him. The shorter man was no better off judging from what he could sense, the technique they were using having drained them considerably during their short battle. It took Krillin a short while to return to the surface, his bald head gleaming from a mixture of sweat and seawater, his already heavy clothes even heavier from the moisture they had accumulated.

"Well, I guess you win this round Yamcha, but I'll get you next time!" Krillin grinned, rising up out of the sea, "Wanna go back to Roshi's house and grab a bite to eat or something?"

"No, I think I'll just head back to Capsule Corp. and relax for a little while before I start up training again," Yamcha shook his head, "Meet out here with Tien, same time tomorrow right?"

"Yup, see ya!" Krillin nodded, heading off towards the horizon, "Tell Bulma I said hey!"

"I will, thanks for the workout Krillin!" Yamcha called after his friend, _"I just hope that I can hold out next time..."_

Gohan jumped back and forth across the landscape, trying to put as much distance between himself and his new sensei as possible, seeing as Vegeta was going to be busy the next few days with training his mother. As such, the young hybrid had been shooed away into the wilderness to train himself for a while without Vegeta watching his each and every move, meaning he could practice some new moves. He had already mastered everything in Vegeta's arsenal, including the prince's fighting style, but he had yet to show Vegeta the full extent to which his power could go.

The young warrior had spent many hours training on his own in the wilderness late at night, as well as with his old sensei, Piccolo, and had since managed to master a move that his father had once employed with great finesse. It took a great amount of concentration to execute the move, not to mention concentration, but that hadn't stopped Gohan from trying it nonetheless. He had a feeling that this new threat coming to the Earth would be more powerful than what they had faced before and he vowed to be ready for anything, especially with his father gone.

The forest was eerily quiet as the young fighter came to a stop in a clearing a few miles from his home, closing his eyes and focusing his energy on everything around him in the way he had for the past half a year. He did want to train himself, but he had another reason for coming so far from the house for training lately, and that reason was at the moment creeping around behind him. Gohan smirked softly, seeing as they had tried this same maneuver from the side the previous night, but didn't do anything to indicate that he had noticed their presence yet.

The attack came quickly and swiftly, zipping past Gohan's head quickly as the young half-breed moved out of the way, only to find another blast slamming into his chest with great force. Gohan was a bit shocked that they had actually gotten him this time, but smiled at the improvement as he ducked away from the fist rocketing for his head, kneeing the assailant in their stomach. A small amount of blood flew from his shadowy attacker's mouth as they fell to the ground with a thud, clutching their belly as they rose back to their feet and glared at Gohan, who just smiled brightly.

The attacker was a small girl with brown hair and green eyes, couldn't have been any older than Gohan was, dressed in the weighted Saiya-jin training suit that Gohan had given her over a year before. The weights weren't that heavy on the suit, only about five hundred pounds as opposed to Gohan's, which were normally three times that, but she was clearly still feeling the strain of them. She didn't seem to happy that the other warrior had caught her off-guard yet again, but couldn't help but smile back at her sensei as he folded his arms over his chest.

"You've improved, you actually managed to hit me with the weights on this time around," Gohan chuckled, "But you'll have to do much better than that if you hope to have a prayer in the next Budokai, Lime."

"I would've had you if you weren't so darn good, lousy Saiya-jin genes," the young girl pouted, falling into stance, "But I'm not done yet! Tien-sensei's been training me for the last couple weeks and HE taught me a new move."

"Hmm...knowing Tien, that could be anything," Gohan smiled, cocking his head to the side, "Okay Lime, show me what you've got and be sure not to take of those weights or this training won't do you any good!"

"You talk too much," Lime smirked, her white aura darkening, "Here I come Gohan! KAIO-KEN...TIMES THREE!"

Gohan's eyes widened in shock as he jumped out of the rushing girl's way, but not soon enough as her elbow drove into his ribcage, sending the young fighter sprawling across the meadow. Whatever training Tien had put her through had definitely had some damn good results, seeing as just a month ago she couldn't use the Kaio-Ken attack or even HIT Gohan unless he let her. It wasn't often that a young fighter showed so much prowess or potential, and Gohan was very proud of his student if not a bit jealous of how rapidly she was progressing.

The young Saiya-jin was not about to lose, however, as Lime came rushing towards him at top speed, energy pulsing in her hands as she prepared to try and take the more powerful fighter down. It wasn't meant to be, however, as Gohan's own aura exploded around him a bright red color, leaving Lime in the dust as her attack hit nothing but the ground. The human girl was stunned for a moment, but that soon passed as Gohan drove a kick into the back of her head, sending the girl sprawling across the ground at lightning speed.

"I thought you were supposed to be nice to women, not beat them," the girl pouted, rubbing the back of her head, "I almost had you this time...and I didn't even have to take the weights off."

"I know, and you did good, but I'm more experienced than you are and the Kaio-Ken can be a bit erratic if your not used to it," Gohan smiled, helping her up, "Now, we can get on with the real training. Today Lime, we're going to teach you how to use the Light of Death, one of my old sensei's attacks. You ready?"

"Ready and waiting!" Lime beamed, winking at the young boy, _"Maybe then I'll be able to beat you...next time."_

_**Updated Power Levels**_

Gohan(w/weights): 1,650,000

w/Kaio-Ken: 2,800,000

Krillin(w/weights): 800,000

w/Kaio-Kenx2: 1,600,000

Yamcha(w/weights): 650,000

w/Kaio-Kenx2: 1,300,000

Lime(w/weights): 450,000

w/Kaio-Kenx3: 1,350,000

_**Author's Notes:** You didn't get to see much regarding Chi-Chi's training, as I didn't feel it would be worth it due to how little experience she has in the field of mastering the ki arts. I hope you all enjoyed the little surprise I threw in there with Lime having already met Gohan and having been training under not only him, but also under the other fighters for some time now. She's not nearly on the same level as Krillin or the other humans, but she's damn close due to how young she is and who she has teaching her how to fight._

_The next chapter will skip ahead about a month, opening with Piccolo meditating under a waterfall as something starts coming towards the planet, something dark and as dangerous as anything they've ever faced. The battle you've all been waiting for is about to commence, but is it really Slug who is the dark presence they're all afraid of, or is it his second in command? Stay tuned to find out..._


	9. Arrival

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"  
Chapter 8- "Arrival"_

_By- Tiny_

One month does not seem like a very long time, not when you are a normal person living in a normal town living a normal life, but to the fighters who have protected the planet for so many years, it's a lifetime. The small band of warriors had been training hard the last month in preparation for their enemy's arrival on their home, anxiously awaiting the battle that was to come. They had come a long way in the strength department, the three older humans who still fought having managed to surpass the power of Frieza's second form, but there was always room for improvement.

Gohan was spending less and less time training with his surrogate father figure, Vegeta, and had taken on the duty of training the small girl he had discovered potential in, a young pre-teen named Lime. The brown-haired girl was progressing at an accelerated rate, the only thing keeping her behind the older warriors being her inexperience, but her mastery of the ki arts was most impressive. The Saiya-jin boy wasn't doing to bad in the strength department himself, easily as powerful as Frieza's third form or stronger, and that wasn't even when he used the legendary Kaio-Ken technique.

The great prince Vegeta had opted to occupy most of his time training Chi-Chi in the gravity room he had borrowed from Capsule Corp., saying that as far behind as she was she would need the extra boost. That hadn't slowed down any of the Saiya-jin's own prowess, however, as Vegeta was presently the second most powerful fighter on the planet, next only to the Nameksei-jin ex-guardian. That was a fact of life that irked the prince to no great end, causing him to spend long hours training in the gravity chamber, even when he was far beyond his limits.

Things were going well for the inhabitants of planet Earth, despite the ever looming threat of an attack that they knew was bound to come soon, the relationship between Vegeta and Chi-Chi progressing slowly. They were still worried that Goku would barge in and separate the two of them, but for that reason Vegeta was still working towards his goal of becoming a Super Saiya-jin. He had come close once before, the anger at himself for being so weak causing him to reach that inner gate, now all he had to do was figure out how to open it.

Yes, things were going well indeed, but peace never lasts long in the lives of warriors, and they were about to get the ultimate wake up call...

Piccolo was meditating underneath a waterfall near the temple that had served as his father's home base during his reign many centuries before, the steady murmur of the flowing water soothing his senses. He often came here when he felt stressed out or just needed to get away from the other fighters for a while, especially his apprentice Gohan, as the boy had a tendency to bug his old sensei. Today was not such a situation, he simply needed the clarity of mind that would be needed to sense a powerful energy still out in space, wondering just how much time they had left.

Things seemed to slow down to almost non-motion as the Nameksei-jin focused his senses on tracking strong ki signatures, feeling the three human men sparring somewhere on the other side of the planet. Gohan was training with Lime and the new guardian at the Sky Palace, the young Saiya-jin barely exerting any force whatsoever while sparring with the two humans. As for Vegeta and Chi-Chi, the Saiya-jin prince was clearly still not taking it easy on his chosen pupil, as he was at his maximum strength while sparring against her considerably weaker form.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just another day of training for the big fight that was coming, and Piccolo was about to take off for his own training when something came to his attention. A powerful surge of energy closing rapidly on the blue planet, the culmination of six individual energy signatures, all of them seeming very familiar to the Nameksei-jin warrior. One he knew for sure was that of his old comrade, the traitor who had convinced himself to try and take over Nameksei centuries before, ending up getting both of them banished.

"He's here, so soon," Piccolo growled, fear clutching at the back of his subconscious, "I hope we're ready for him..."

Rocketing across the cold reaches of space, a dark figure rested comfortably in the throne that he had had fashioned many centuries ago, his yellow eyes gazing out at this subordinates as their goal came into view. There were four underlings that were warriors under their leader's command, the rest of his minions being little more than scientists or grunt soldiers so weak a well-trained kid could kill them. The four that stood before him now were the most powerful fighters that he had been able to gather during his travels, though even in his aged state they were no match for their leader.

The largest and second most powerful of the subordinates was a very burly looking creature, who kept his upper body uncovered so as to give people a better view of the scars that crisscrossed his well-defined muscles. He had a very dark brown-colored skin in contrast to the vibrant red color of his hair and blue of his eyes, though apparently in his race such traits were common. This man also wore a pair of baggy white gi pants tucked into golden colored boots, a sword strapped to his back that looked almost too big to wield properly, but he did so with surprising grace.

Standing directly in front of him was a lizard-like creature, one that greatly resembled the warlord Frieza, only his power level wasn't nearly at that level despite him being in his final form. His skin was a light red color all over his body, except at the shoulders and on the top of his head, where he had what appeared to be a flame-orange skin tone. This creature was the one who did the most battling when they decided to invade a planet and conquer it, seeing as he was stronger than most planet's strongest warriors, but he was the weakest of his leader's top officials.

Next to the lizard man was a rather out of place fighter, a male Saiya-jin with some of the most wild-looking hair ever seen by mortal man, his skin a dark tan color that stretched tightly over his firm muscles. He still wore the black Saiya-jin bodysuit that came up like a turtleneck over his throat, as well as the red scouter over his left eye, but opted for a sleeveless version of the suit. The Saiya-jin was the third-most powerful of his master's warriors, his own pride being what held him back and kept him from being the strongest of all.

The last of the fighters, and the one that seemed to be the most unusual out of this small group, was a slender looking young woman who stood directly by the side of her master's chair. She wore a pair of form fitting black pants with a white, long sleeve gi top over her upper body, her blonde hair stretching down her back nearly to her knees, several long bangs falling down into her face. Most would see this as a disadvantage during a fight, especially for the strongest of the master's warriors, but that didn't matter as the woman was blind, relying on her other senses during battle.

"What is our status?" the elderly, throaty voice of the master croaked, "Turles, give me a report!"

"According to radar, we should be landing on that mudh...planet within the next ten minutes, give or take a couple," the Saiya-jin man growled, "I still don't know what you see in this planet, Lord Slug."

"The planet contains many powerful energies, some resembling that of yourself Turles, and one very similar to our lords," the blind woman mused, "That one is very strong, possibly even as powerful as Goliath or myself."

"Not likely, Minerva, only our lord is that powerful," Goliath, the dark-skinned man, spoke up, "Nobody else could possibly measure up to me on this pitiful little planet, much less you."

"Never the less, when we land you will not underestimate the fighters of this planet when we engage them," Slug chuckled, rising to his feet steadily, "I can sense Zildar's power on this planet, though it is not as it once was, but he is still strong and full of surprises."

"If you say so, my lord," Turles bowed, gulping, "Should we begin landing procedures?"

"Yes, land at the coordinates that I have given you, the location of what I would assume is this planet's holy place," the aged lord chuckled, "Three of the planet's strongest signatures are located there, but I feel that it's nothing Turles here can't handle, right?"

"Why do you send the ape when I should be able to do so?" the lizard-like man snapped, turning on his heels, "Normally, I am deployed first!"

"Usually you would be correct, Blaze, but the opponents that await us on the holy place are not any normal foes," Minerva smiled, an eerie, out of place smile, "One is the guardian of this planet, much of his power is still being held back, and another of the three is part Saiya-jin. The third is insignificant, but the trio would make a far better test of Turles' abilities than yours."

"I still think that it's bullshit!" Blaze snarled, turning to face the screen, "I mean, after what happened on the last..."

"YOU WILL BE SILENT OR I WILL SILENCE YOU BLAZE!" Slug snapped, his own energy sending the lizard-man flying, "We will be facing a Saiya-jin half-blood and a guardian, I will not trust this job to anyone else but Turles, do I make myself clear?"

"Y...yes sir," Blaze gulped, rising back to his feet shakily, "I'm sorry for questioning you sir."

Slug didn't even bother to acknowledge his subordinate any longer as he took his seat once more on the bridge of his ship, gazing out at the image on the screen, that of three young warriors battling. One of them in particular caught the aged warrior's gaze as they sparred down below, the hybrid Saiya-jin boy, one who fought with a stance that brought back many memories. Memories of a time when Slug himself was among the strongest beings in the universe, when he was still a young fighter, and of the rage he felt after his betrayal.

_"Soon, you will answer for your insubordination Zildar," _the Nameksei-jin elder mused, his yellow eyes twinkling, _"And this boy is going to be the key to your downfall..."_

Vegeta didn't even recoil as Chi-Chi's ki-infused punch slammed into the side of his head, his gaze shifting towards the horizon as he noticed what appeared to be a comet rapidly approaching the Sky Palace. He could sense something...dark, and very familiar within that comet, something that was so powerful it actually sent a chill rippling down his spine. Gohan was at the Sky Palace, the child that he considered to be the closest thing to his son he had in the universe, and now the young half-breed was in more danger than the prince felt he could shield him from.

Despite the fact that he never wanted to have his rival near the woman and child that Vegeta had come to call his own again, the Saiya-jin prince almost wished that the Super Saiya-jin were on Earth. True, Piccolo had gained immense power by fusing with the former guardian Kami some time ago, but while it rivaled some of the energies within that ship, it was nowhere near the master's. Things did not look good for the fighters on Earth, and what made it even worse was that Vegeta could feel a somewhat powerful energy signature leaving the master's location, one that felt very much like his rival.

"Vegeta, what the hell is wrong with you?" Chi-Chi snapped, falling out of stance for the first time all day, "I know you said you would go easy on me during these spars, but this is going too far! Are you just gonna stand there, and..."

"Chi-Chi, I want you to go back to the house and call your friend, that one with the blue hair, tell her to warn the others," Vegeta interrupted, his face emotionless, "Our enemies are here, they need to be prepared, and you need to get to where it'll be safe."

"You expect me to just sit idly by while the rest of you, while you and my son, risk your lives out there?" Chi-Chi growled, storming up to the prince, "Well, mister, you can just forget that!"

"Damn it woman, LISTEN TO ME!" Vegeta snarled, his eyes going from placid to raging inferno's immediately, "The weakest of the energies that I can sense would break you like a twig underfoot, you don't have a prayer in this battle, and I will NOT allow you to risk your life for some foolish need to prove yourself!"

"You...you god damned hypocrite!" Chi-Chi screamed, her face turning bright red as she slapped the prince across his face, "You dare to lecture me about my need to prove **_myself_**, yet what are you doing but trying to prove that your stronger than Goku? What right do you have to lecture me, Mao Chi-Chi, the Ox Princess?"

"Then you leave me no choice, and I'm sorry it's come to this," the prince sighed, his eyes actually looking...sad, "I hope you will forgive me."

Chi-Chi didn't even have time to come back with a retort before Vegeta's energy spiked and he vanished from her sight, only to reappear right behind her, his open hand connecting with the base of her neck. The human woman, being significantly weaker than the Saiya-jin, was knocked out cold almost instantly, falling in a heap into Vegeta's outstretched arms. She wouldn't be out for more than a couple of hours, the Saiya-jin man knew that he hadn't applied enough force for more than that, but he figured it should be more than adequate.

Feeling that she would be vulnerable if he left her out in the open like this, Vegeta carried his incapacitated lover back to her home, lying her out in the living room before taking off into the air. His aura blazed a regal purple color as he rocketed towards the source of the largest energies, feeling the Nameksei-jin warrior Piccolo's own energy heading in the same direction. Soon there after, three smaller, yet still fairly strong, energy signatures spiked out over the oceans and began heading for the capitol of West City, where the vessel carrying the dark power's was landing.

_"I'm sorry Chi-Chi, but I can't have them using you as leverage against me in the battle," _the prince mused, picking up his pace, _"I may not have said it to you before, but I hope that I've shown you how much I care about you and the boy. Let's just hope that I can stay alive long enough to tell you...in person..."_

_**Power Level Updates**_

Slug(aged/suppressed): 5,000,000

Minerva(suppressed): 3,500,000

Goliath(suppressed): 3,250,000

Turles(suppressed): 2,750,000

Blaze(suppressed): 2,100,000

Vegeta(suppressed): 4,000,000

Piccolo(suppressed): 4,000,000

Tien: 3,000,000

Gohan(suppressed): 2,800,000

Krillin: 2,700,000

Yamcha: 2,250,000

Kale(suppressed): 2,000,000

Lime: 1,450,000

Chi-Chi: 200,000

_**Author's Notes:** It's been so long since I updated that I figured I'd treat all of you to an update on people's progress in the power charts, but as you can tell I haven't given the MAX amount for most of our fighters. The full extent of everyone's improvements will become evident later on as the fighting begins with Slug's troops, so expect a few surprises in store. Oh, and if you can, go to my profile page and 1) read and review my stories _Nightmares from Hell _and _Beyond the Fantasy _and 2) vote in the _Unexpected Romance _Poll of my forum._

_The next chapter will go into the Saiya-jin man Turles' arrival on the Sky Palace and his confrontation with the three children there, and this is just gonna be the warm-up for some of them! You'll also find out exactly why Slug has chosen to come to Earth of all places he could go, as if you folks didn't know already, and what his intentions for the planet are. All this and more in the next chapter of _Unexpected Romance: Changes


	10. Invasion: Part 1

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 9- "Invasion: Part 1"_

_By- Tiny_

The platform at the top of Karin's Tower was a paradise in the clouds, a place that only the strongest could reach and only the most dedicated set out for, as well as the home of the planet's guardian. Today, however, this was the site of one of the most savage and full-out sparring sessions that the planet had ever seen between it's three youngest warriors. It was a free-for-all, nobody was teaming up with anyone else as the three of them fought for all they were worth, with Lime taking the bulk of the damage due to not being quite as powerful as her fellow fighters.

Gohan wasn't doing coming out smelling like a bed of roses himself, the young Saiya-jin barely managing to avoid blows from the powerful new guardian, Kale, as the white-haired boy came at him ferociously. Kale was charging at Gohan full force, a ki blast charging in his hand as he moved, but never came into contact with the hybrid as Lime jumped between the two and used her own blast to hit both. The blasts were weak, but were powerful enough to catch the two off guard and send them reeling across the tiled floor before each skidded to a halt on opposite sides of the platform.

The three were tense, all of them enjoying this sparring session tremendously, and were about to charge at each other once again, but stopped when something began to weigh heavily on their senses. It was smothering, so powerful that it was almost hard to believe that they hadn't sensed it before now, but it would have been hard to with them so focused on each other. What made Gohan the most nervous was just how familiar this energy felt, so much like that of his own as it drew closer, finally coming into view as he landed in the center of the platform.

Everyone was in shock as the man looked them over, his red scouter beeping like crazy before finally settling on three numbers, bringing a soft smirk to his face since he could tell they were all holding back. The man looked almost exactly like Goku, save that he was much darker in the way of skin tone and looked far more sinister, almost like a mixture of Goku's looks and Vegeta's temperament. It made Gohan shake in his boots and nearly fall down on his knees, though the sight of the man really did little more than unnerve Lime and Kale.

"Hmm, so you three are the one's Lord Slug has sent me to take care of," Turles smirked, folding his arms over his chest, "I knew you were young, but I was expecting something...well, more."

"F...f...father?"

"Ah, you must be Kakarot's brat, but I'm afraid you aren't far off," the Saiya-jin man chuckled, "Dear Kakarot is my little cousin, his father and my father were brothers, though they hated each other quite a bit, but I didn't come to discuss family. Lord Slug wants you three eliminated so there is nobody can oppose him. I am here to help him reach that goal."

"And what is your master's goal, Saiya-jin?" Kale pondered, "What's so important that he comes to this planet, so far from his own home?"

"Lord Slug wishes to regain his youth so that he may exact his vengeance against the one who betrayed him years ago, Zildar," Turles grumbled, dropping his arms down from his chest, "But enough talk, the time for words is over. Let's see what you three have got!"

Gohan wasted no time in rushing after the Saiya-jin man, his white aura blazing around him as he shot his power level up, swinging his fist right for Turles' head so fast that Lime couldn't follow it. The blow didn't land, however, as Turles ducked under the attack and retaliated with a knee in the hybrid's stomach, sending a spray of blood out of Gohan's mouth. He would have continued the pounding were it not for another, unusually large, power level slamming into him from behind, sending the older warrior spiraling over the edge of the Sky Palace.

Turles looked up just in time to move out of the way of another one of Lime's attacks, her fist aglow with red energy as she swung at him, following the initial attack with a kick aimed for the Saiya-jin's stomach. This blow didn't land either as Turles grabbed the girl's ankle and tossed her into the incoming Kale, sending both children skidding across Sky Palace's floor once again. There they joined Gohan, who was trying to get back to his feet as Turles landed on the edge, looking at the three children with a mixture of disgust and disappointment.

"This is all?" Turles scoffed, spitting on the floor, "I can't believe that Lord Slug saw you three as a threat! You're pathetic, the lot of you!"

"Then maybe we should stop holding back," Gohan smirked, wiping blood from his lips, "Then we'll see who's pathetic!"

Turles didn't show any sign of response as the three young fighter's removed various pieces of their clothing, tossing them aside and allowing them to hit the ground with resounding thuds. The noticeable difference was the sudden spike in their strength, small at first and then rising steadily as the three children began to power up, allowing their energy to soar to new heights. The force was enough to dislodge some of the heavy tiles that made up the Sky Palace, causing them to hover in the air as sparks of raw energy filled the air.

The Saiya-jin man was impressed with their power as he raised his own strength to it's own maximum, although without the showy display and with it going unnoticed by the three youths. Individually the only one who posed a threat was Gohan, and even he wasn't close to Turles, but together the three of them would be a force to be reckoned with. Turles would have to keep them separated during the fight, or else he might not be able to capture the young Saiya-jin hybrid, which would mean death if he lost here or death if he went back empty-handed.

_"Okay, let's see what these brats can do now,"_ Turles smirked, falling into stance and twitching his tail, _"Worst comes to worst, I've still got my secret weapon..."_

Krillin was the first to notice that something was off on the planet when he felt the three young fighter's energy levels soar to maximum, accompanied by another signature that he didn't recognize. It was so distracting that he didn't notice when Yamcha and Tien arrived for their daily sparring session, his dark eyes staring off towards the Sky Palace with deep concern. After all, he had not only helped to train Gohan but had trained with the young hybrid, so it was only natural that he would develop some kind of paternal feelings for the boy.

Krillin was about to take off for the Sky Palace himself when another energy signature arrived on the scene, this one not as familiar to Krillin as those of his friends but far darker and sinister. He turned around to see that his two friends were also facing this new power level, which was being radiated by a short creature with red and white skin, his blazing eyes glaring at them with amusement. He looked remarkably like Frieza, save the difference in skin color and that he was a bit taller, and the resemblance sent a shiver down the human's spine.

Yamcha and Tien didn't look too calm or collected themselves, both of them having already fallen into fighting stances as they stared down the lizard-man, wondering how he got past their senses. They were usually on high alert at all times, especially ever since learning that someone was coming to invade the planet, but clearly they hadn't been on a high enough alert level. The proof was hovering right there before them, it's tail swishing around as it moved a little higher in the air, testing the waters so to speak as he gauged their reactions.

"Who are you?" Yamcha choked out, sweat trickling down his brow, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Lord Slug has sent me to take out the trash, meaning you three," the lizard smirked, cocking his head to the side, "Hardly a test of my superior combat abilities, but so be it. The three of you shall fall by the hands of Blaze, the most powerful Kurudosei-jin ever!"

"In your dreams, hot-head," Tien spat, "We sensed Frieza's power on Nameksei and he was quite a bit more powerful than you!"

"Insolence, you need to learn your place!" Blaze snapped, raising his power to it's fullest instantly, "I'll teach you to respect the power of my race!"

"Bring it on, you over-grown lizard freak!" Krillin gulped, falling into stance, "We're gonna beat your ass five ways to Sunday!"

Blaze spoke no more words and merely charged at the three humans at full force, surprised when the three of them dodged his attacks and Yamcha landed a fist in the lizard man's gut. Pain surged through his body, but he ignored it and continued to lash out against the three men, slashing at them with both powerful energy attacks and his thickly muscled tail. None of this worked, however, as they either dodged the attacks or reflected them back at the user, sometimes retaliating with attacks of their own while not visibly raising their own power levels.

While it may have appeared this way, the only reason that the three humans hadn't been raising anything was because they were already at their maximum, vowing to never hold back against each other. Granted, Blaze at his max was more powerful than they were, but they had designed their training specifically to increase their speed and stamina, not to mention agility and defense. Those skills more than compensated for the lack of power against this sloppy and haphazard fighter they were facing, allowing them to get him surrounded and charge up some of their more powerful attacks.

"Go ahead, fools, you can't hurt me!" Blaze laughed maniacally, "Give me your best shot!"

"Don't mind if we do!" Tien roared, "KIKOU-HA!"

"KA...ME...HA...ME...HA!"

"ROGA FU-FU KEN!"

Blaze's eyes widened as the three attacks slammed into him, causing an explosion that sent the three human's back a few feet before they composed themselves, keeping their bodies tense as they waited for the smoke to clear. They could sense Blaze's energy signature, a bit weaker than it had been but still there, his anger radiating off in waves as the three humans smirked. Their joy was to be short lived, however, as Blaze's power suddenly spiked much higher and the smoke was blown away, revealing a new form of the lizard creature.

His face was covered in a sort of mask as a kind of crest had grown over the top of his head, though rather than the expected white color as his skin had been Blaze's skin tone had changed to a blood red with black where the red had been. His eyes were the only thing that was not either color, glowing a brilliant orange color as he narrowed them at the three humans. Adding to his flaming appearance were the orange and yellow flames that were now burning at the tip of his tail, as well as on the top of his head and at his wrists and ankles, causing everyone nearby to sweat.

"Now, pitiful human scum, let's see you handle me like this," Blaze chuckled, falling into his new stance, "In this form, I am even more powerful than your clown Frieza!"

_"He's not kidding, Frieza looks like a joke next to this guy!"_ Krillin gulped, beginning to remove his weights, _"This may be harder than we thought..."_

_**Power Updates**_

Blaze: 6,500,000

Final Form: 13,750,000

Turles(suppressed): 8,000,000

Gohan(w/weights): 4,000,000

w/o weights: 7,500,000

Kale(w/weights): 3,850,000

w/o weights: 7,200,000

Tien(w/weights): 3,200,000

w/o weights: 5,500,000

Krillin(w/weights): 3,000,000

w/o weights: 5,200,000

Yamcha(w/weights): 2,800,000

w/o weights: 5,000,000

Lime(w/weights): 1,800,000

Kaio-Ken(w/weights): 2,500,000

w/o weights(w/Kaio-Ken): 4,250,000

-_**Roga Fu-Fu Ken: **_A move literally meaning "Wolf Fang Fist", it is one of Yamcha's signature techniques from the Dragonball series. This version is a red ki attack that appears in the form of a large wolf's head.

_**Author's Notes:**__ Well, here we go folks, another installment in the Unexpected Romance saga and the second update that I've made to my stories today! I'm really on a roll, just hope I can keep it up for a bit longer before school starts up again. I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter and don't get too confused by the power chart, though if you have questions I encourage you to ask. Questions do help a writer improve his/her work, so do feel free!_

_The next chapter will move to the rest of the Z fighters as Vegeta and Piccolo encounter their opponents, the remaining two of Slug's generals, and needless to say they've got their hands full. Meanwhile, Slug looks to make his wish for youth come true as he sends his foot soldiers out into the world to retrieve the legendary Dragonballs! All this and more in the next installment, so stay tuned!!!_


	11. Invasion: Part 2

"_Unexpected Romance: Changes"_

_Chapter 10- "Invasion: Part 2"_

_By- Tiny_

Piccolo hadn't moved since he felt the fighting begin to erupt all around him, with the three children fighting on the Lookout and the humans fighting someone who felt like Frieza some distance from where he was. He could also feel a more powerful entity heading for the rapidly moving Saiya-jin prince, but his mind was mostly focused on the being that was approaching his own location. The being was powerful, almost as much as the one heading for Vegeta, but not nearly on Piccolo's level as the Nameksei-jin finally rose to his feet and removed his weights.

The fighter approaching was the dark-skinned swordsman that he had sensed on Slug's ship, the third most powerful of the traveling Nameksei-jin's crew, though Piccolo was not worried. He had yet to reveal the full power that he had gained from not only fusing with Kami but also from the intense physical and mental training that he had undergone over the last few months. Still, no need to let this behemoth know that as the dark-skinned warrior hovered just in front of his adversary, his eyes looking Piccolo over in appraisal.

"Your shorter than I expected," Goliath scoffed, cocking his head, "Lord Slug told me Zildar was a giant amongst Nameksei-jin, one of their great leaders before his exile into space. I was expecting something...more."

"You're too caught up in the appearance of strength to see it when it's right in front of you," Piccolo chuckled, falling into a fighting stance, "Let's just see what you can do, fool."

Goliath wasted no more words as he unsheathed his sword, swinging it down towards on of Piccolo's arms and slicing through the green flesh, severing the limb from it's master. Piccolo didn't seem to take notice of this, however, as his other arm shot up and wrapped around the larger fighter's throat, squeezing the air out of his lungs as Piccolo's energy concentrated in his other shoulder. Goliath didn't have time to react as a brand new limb sprouted from the stump that was Piccolo's arm, smashing with bone-shattering force into the behemoth's face.

Piccolo smirked at the small triumph, but kept his guard up nonetheless as Goliath returned for another strike with his sword, missing Piccolo by bare inches as the Nameksei-jin ducked under the blow. Swinging around for another strike, the large man was stopped as Piccolo grabbed the sword and threw it to the ground, driving his knee into Goliath's gut in the process. A small spray of spittle flew from the larger fighter's lips due to the force of the blow, but didn't seem to phase him that much as he brought his fist into Piccolo's face, sending the Nameksei-jin reeling.

"You pack quite a punch," Piccolo chuckled, rubbing his jaw, "Why did you waste time swinging that toy?"

"My people try to finish things quickly and painlessly, as a show of respect to our enemies, hence we use 'those toys'," Goliath explained, reclaiming his blade, "It is considered dishonorable to fight without it."

"Maybe they should have made you fight Vegeta, but no matter," Piccolo muttered, falling back into stance, "If your race values honor so highly, then I'll give you a warrior's death."

"No honor would be greater, but it will be you who falls here, not me," Goliath chuckled, pointing the tip of his blade at Piccolo's throat, "Nobody who opposes my lord will live!"

"We'll see about that," Piccolo smirked, "I'm ready, let's do this!"

Vegeta was speeding across the planet towards where he felt the strongest power level, his black hair waving in the wind as he flew towards the place that he recognized from his first visit to this planet: West City. The invader's had apparently chosen that place for their base, and the Saiya-jin prince could feel thousands of smaller energy signatures spreading out from there. He had no idea what they were searching for on this planet, certainly not powerful warriors or anything of the sort, so he could only assume they were here to take slaves.

The thought sent Vegeta back to his own childhood, back to when he was given over to Frieza as a small boy, back to those days of torture and agony at the lizard freak's twisted hands. His only companions and comrades had been Nappa and Raditz, the only other Saiya-jin in Frieza's fleet to have survived, and both of whom he had ultimately destroyed through his own actions. The life of a slave and his own lust for vengeance had driven Vegeta to the brink of oblivion, causing him to destroy everything and everyone that was important in his life.

The Saiya-jin was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice as a strong, silent signature invaded his territory, stepping into the warrior prince's path as he forged ahead. The figure was that of the blind woman that was Slug's second-in-command, her blonde hair waving in the wind as she 'watched' Vegeta approach, an amused smile on her pale face. The prince scowled deeply when he finally did take note of her presence, not wishing to be delayed by anyone weaker than the master himself, but still knowing that he would have to beat her first.

"It is said that only a fool may rush where angels fear to tread, Vegeta-san," the blind woman smiled, her body unguarded, "Why do you rush so foolishly towards your death at the hands of my master?"

"Why I chose to fight is none of your concern, wench, now stand aside!" Vegeta snapped, "I do not wish to fight with this Slug character's pitiful underlings, only Slug himself."

"Your voice...it is filled with anger, at the warlord Frieza and his family, and the one known as 'Goku' or 'Kakarot', and at your own weakness," she continued, paying no head to Vegeta's rise in energy, "You were beaten by Frieza and by this Kakarot that you so despise, and thus continue to rush to your death merely to prove that it is you who controls your destiny, not them."

"You know nothing about me, now move!" Vegeta practically roared, his ki shooting to it's maximum, "I don't have time for chit-chat!"

"Oh, I know a great deal about you Prince Vegeta, and about the battles you have fought...and those that lie ahead," the blind woman giggled, disappearing and reappearing behind Vegeta, "But in order to face them, you must first face yourself!"

Vegeta didn't have time to react as the blind woman grabbed him by the head and entered his very mind, pouring through the archive of memories that lay buried in there where nobody but he could go. Memories of the past aboard Frieza's ship, his first training session that had ended in humiliation at the lizard man's hand and brutal torture by the second-in-command, Zarbon. Memories of the times when Vegeta would be punished for insubordination, in whatever way Frieza's sick mind deemed most appropriate, including physical and mental violation.

Memories skipped ahead then to the cold shell of his former self Vegeta had become, using his own hand to kill the man that he had called friend and who had raised him as one would their own flesh and blood. The battle with Goku out in the barren wastes of this planet, his superior power failing to crush the ferocious and unyielding spirit his rival possessed. Memories again of Frieza, of his humiliating defeat at the hands of the same creature that had caused him so much pain over the years, his show of weakness just before dying from the lizard's attack.

And even before that, before his being practically sold into slavery or the bitter rivalry that would form between himself and Goku, and even before he could clearly remember on his own, there was Vegeta's father. He saw himself crying as he was given the news of his mother's death from wound sustained in battle, then the beating that his father had given him for such weakness. Vegeta wanted it to stop, wanted the images...the memories to disappear as though they never were, but he remained caught up in them as Minerva appeared in his head.

"_So much pain, so much hardship in one so young," _she sighed, moving a strand of her hair from her face, "_A lesser man would have cracked long ago, given up and thrown in the towel, as these humans say. What is it that has kept you going on for so long?"_

_"My...self," _Vegeta answered through ragged breaths, his body slick with sweat in the real world, _"No matter how hard the challenge, no matter how horrible the pain, a Saiya-jin must live on for his race, his pride, and himself."_

_"A foolish notion from a weak man,"_ Minerva scoffed, releasing him from that mental hell, "What makes you think you have what it takes to defeat my master when you cannot even defeat your own demons?"

"I am not afraid to face my own past, woman; we Saiya-jin share one ideal with these humans," Vegeta heaved, rising to his feet as his energy began to spike, "That which doesn't kill you...ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER!"

Minerva would have shielded her eyes were it necessary as Vegeta's energy began to rise to new heights, his body swirling with energy as his hair began to flicker between it's normal black and a much lighter color. The sky was growing darker overhead, a distinct chill in the air everywhere else but around the prince was blazing hot, his body beginning to emit a faint glow. His muscles bulged tremendously as his screams echoed across the plains, causing the earth to give way beneath him as Minerva fought to hold her footing before the prince.

A bright surge of golden light suddenly filled the area, sending a massive burst of pure energy through the air and knocking Minerva skyward, stopping herself just in time to have a fist drive into her gut. She lurched forward from the force of the blow only to have another crash into her skull, sending her hurtling towards the ground at speeds that would normally kill most people. She, however, wasn't most people and landed with effortless ease as her opponent landed on the opposite side of the plain, his now bright, golden-blonde hair waving in the breeze.

"It would seem that I was right to chose you, Prince Vegeta of the Saiya-jin, as the one who would free me," Minerva smiled, bowing to the prince, "Long have I awaited this day."

"What are you babbling about woman?" Vegeta scoffed, folding his arms over his chest, "Giving up so soon?"

"I too am a slave Vegeta, to the master who awaits you in that city, I do not serve him out of my own free will as the others do," Minerva almost cried, "My people...we were once worshipped as gods on this very planet, as our lifespan is much greater than that of most other mortals. Slug promised that if I served him that Earth would be spared his wrath...but he lied, and now he must pay."

"And what makes you think I'm going to help you?"

"Because, you know what it's like to be a slave and you have those precious to you that you wish to protect here as well," Minerva answered, staring up into the sky with longing, "The rest of my people are gone, this planet holds the last group of people that mean anything to me in the universe. I implore you, Vegeta, kill Slug...don't let the same fate that we suffered befall these people."

Vegeta looked off towards the city, feeling it as many lives suddenly vanished into thin air, their screams going unheard as others ran in fear, Slug's subordinate hunting down anyone unwilling to cooperate. The prince was vaguely reminded of the way it had been when he was working under Frieza, going to planets to purge them of life so that they could be sold to the highest bidder. He remembered their faces, frozen with fear as the prince and his partner's took their lives and reveled in the destruction, the memory forcing him to shut his eyes as his golden aura expanded further.

_"And so it comes full circle,"_ Vegeta mused, opening his eyes, "I won't woman, I won't..."

_**Power Level Update**_

Minerva: 15,800,000

Goliath: 12,500,000

SSJ Vegeta: 18,000,000

Piccolo(suppressed): 10,000,000

_**Author's Notes:**__ Well, another chapter down, but this one was a lot harder than the others because I intended to make this one more psychological with Vegeta and Minerva, as you can see. Still, I hope you liked it and to address a concern presented by one of my readers, no this fic is not going to make Gohan alienate his father, but there will be some bad blood between them that needs resolving. After all, most people wouldn't be too pleased that their father just up and left for a little over a year of their lives just so they could learn more ways to fight._

_The next chapter will move ahead with the fights as Gohan and the others face opponents of not only superior skill but strength, forcing them to pull out all the stops in order to topple their foes. Meanwhile, Slug's true purpose is revealed...to restore his youth through use of the Dragonballs, while Vegeta rushes towards him to destroy the merciless warlord. All this and more awaits in the coming chapters, so stay tuned!!!_


End file.
